BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Nov. 26, 2020– Since the extensive rains initially brought on by Hurricane Eta and then compounded by Hurricane Iota, central Belize has been battling extensive flooding. One demographic which has been especially affected is the cattle ranchers in the Maypen area of the Belize District.
During the Garifuna Settlement Day holiday on November 19, Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño and the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Jose Mai, along with a brigade of Mennonite ranchers, and representatives from the BLPA, the Banana Bank Lodge and Caribbean Tires, took boats and trailers to the area in an effort to rescue about 400 head of livestock.
Multiple photos and videos appearing on social media showed both residents and livestock having to swim through the flood waters that rose to devastating levels over the past two weeks.
On Monday, floodwaters in Maypen had exceeded five feet in depth, and a flood warning remains in effect for the Cayo District.
Presently, the relocation of the cattle to dry land is ongoing; however, several ranchers have expressed their concerns over the state of the animals which have yet to be rescued.
Reports indicate that at least ten head of cattle have been lost to the flood waters. There is also a concern that even after the water has receded, the cattle may face starvation once they are returned home in wet conditions, because they will likely not want to feed on the grass after it has been waterlogged for several weeks.
In addition to the cattle crisis, farmers are also in anguish over their crops that still remain under water. Many in the country depend upon multiple areas in Rural Belize for the provision of vegetables such as cabbage, tomatoes, sweet peppers, etc.
Given the current conditions, farmers are unsure when they will be able to resume planting, or to make efforts to regain their investments lost due to the floods.
They will also not be able to assess the extent of the damage until the water has completely dried up – a period which still remains undetermined, as more showers are expected over the weekend.
The priority for farmers and ranchers continues to be an effort to salvage what they can from the water, but the overall consensus is that the issues they are facing will become worse before the situation improves.