_{(Top l-r) Gregorio Esquivel, Naomi Requena (bottom) Juan Carrillo}

by Charles Gladden

BELMOPAN, Mon. Apr. 14, 2025

The National Agriculture and Trade Show (NATS) Committee has announced the winners of its Farmers of the Year 2025 competition, which was held under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise.

A total of 18 farmers—one candidate per category from each district—were nominated throughout the country, and that initial group was then shortlisted by three judges who determined if the nominees met their criteria.

“The criteria are basic,” explained Andrew Mejia, Director of Extension at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise. “They look at their production system. The sustainability, the management practices, [and] how they control pests and diseases. Their post-harvest management, water efficiency, if they use any machinery on their farm, [and] innovation practices that would increase her yields. The criteria looked at as well is the record-keeping practices, and that’s one of our limitations in the country, where the majority of the farmers are not recording their daily activities,” he said.

The farmers to be awarded this year are Gregorio Esquivel (Corozal District) – Senior Farmer of the Year; Naomi Requena (Toledo District) – Female Farmer of the Year; and Juan Carrillo (Orange Walk District) – Junior Farmer of the Year.

“This is an accolade for us not owned by many, so we showcase them, and the prizes are pretty much lucrative. The prizes are deserving for the contributions they have made to food security in our country,” Mejia said. “It is good when we see farmers like this coming from a cross-section of our country, from Toledo to Corozal, because it highlights how important agriculture is for a generation of persons in Belize,” he went on to say.

Mejia outlined a process of evolution that is taking place on local farms, with farmers adopting modern technology and integrating such tools and techniques in the operations of their farms.

“It’s no longer a subsistence farming in Belize. We have seen where farmers are becoming way more innovative in their production practices; they need to increase their yields. Farmers face climate change daily. We have dryer weather [and] intense rainfall, so they need to adapt; and we have seen innovative practices on the farm. For example, to conserve water; and we are seeing that farmers are being innovative with irrigation practices. When they have excess rainfalls, they’re able to drain out the water from their land. Some farmers are using drones on their farms, and it’s all in Belize,” he mentioned.

The final arrangements for the presentation of the prizes have yet to be decided by the ministry.