More details about the Cattle Sector in Belize 2016

1. Status of the cattle sector in
Belize
By Carlos A. Itza
by Carlos A. Itza, CEO BLPA 2016

2. by Carlos A. Itza, CEO BLPA 2016

3. by Carlos A. Itza, CEO BLPA 2016

4. THE STATUS OF THE CATTLE SECTOR
The cattle sector generate an estimated annual income of $48 Million Belize Dollar in
2014. Figures of the BLR Annual Report (2014, 2015) indicate that in 2014, Belize
Commercialized a total of 17592 head of cattle. The total amount exported to
neighbouring countries was 11,420 heads of cattle and 6172 heads of cattle was
slaughter locally. The figure for 2015 showed a slight decline of 14.4% in 2015, this
means a total of 15076 were commercialized. The exported amount was 8,841
and 6235 was slaughtered locally.
by Carlos A. Itza, CEO BLPA 2016

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$/lbsofbeefonthehoof
Graph title: The National Recorded prices of live cattle in Belize from
2008-2014
Low
High
Note: The average price of cattle on the hoof was in the average of $1.2 dollars
in 2008 and now it is at $2.30 per pound in 2015, the estimation is that there
has been an increase of 91% over this period. The projected for 2016 has
demonstrated to be too conservative, since the price of live cattle continues to
increase at this time beyond the $3.00 of live cattle in some areas of the
country. by Carlos A. Itza, CEO BLPA 2016

6. REPORTING FOR 2015
• THE WORK OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
• BLPA OFFICE ADMINISTRATION
• BLPA SUPPORT TO BNSCPP AND ENSURING THAT
THE NATIONAL HERD IS TESTED
• BLPA IS VESTED WITH MAINTAINING THE
TRACEABILITY OF THE COUNTRY (BLR)
• STARTING THE STRATEGIC PLAN
IMPLEMENTATION
• TRAINING AND PUBLIC AWARENESS
by Carlos A. Itza, CEO BLPA 2016

7. BOARD ACTIVITY
The BOD attended several meeting of key important to the cattle
sector and on behalf of the Rancher community, this includes:
• Meeting with the Minister of Natural Resources to request
reduction of the Land Tax that affects each individual farmer. With
the new changes of Minister, the request continues to be made
thru legal means.
• Meeting with the BAHA authorities to request that the Movement
Control and illegal movement of animals should not be permitted
• Meeting with the Police Department to report the issues of Cattle
Rustling. BLPA signed a MOU and offered a reward for cattle rustlers
to be penalized and sanctioned.
• LOBBYING FOR TESTING OF A REDUCED POPULATION OF CATTLE
UNDER THE REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF THE NATIONAL HERD TO
REACH THE NATIONAL FREE STATUS OF TUBERCULOSIS.
by Carlos A. Itza, CEO BLPA 2016

8. REVISION OF THE LEGISLATIVE
FRAMEWORK
•PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE LIVESTOCK AND MEAT ACT CONDUCTED.
•STRENGTHENING OF THE ANIMAL HEALTH LEGISLATION
•PROPOSE CHANGES TO THE FOOD SAFETY LEGISLATION
•STRENGTHENING OF THE CHANGES TO PROVIDE MORE AUTHORITY TO BLPA
by Carlos A. Itza, CEO BLPA 2016

9. BLPA SUPPORT TO BNSCPP AND
ENSURING THAT THE NATIONAL HERD
IS TESTED
by Carlos A. Itza, CEO BLPA 2016

10. BLPA TAKES ON THE TRACEABILITY OF THE COUNTRY (BLR)
466 Farmers
2786 Live animals
29 villages/town with cattle
915 Farmers
42,242 Live animals
33 villages/town with cattle
227 Farmers
5510 Live animals
27 villages with animals
730 Farmers
30,404 Live animals
54 villages with animals
58 Farmers
2660 Live animals
25 villages/town with
animals
289 Farmers
5898 Live animals
48 villages/town with
animals
Cattle Estimates for January 2015
According to estimates from the BLR, the total of Number of animals registered in the system is 89,500 live animals.
The total number of registered farmers is 2685
16,787 animals Exported
770 Animals slaughtered/consumed locally
2658 Replacement / 540 Death /30 theft/lost
Blue Creek
88 L. Farmers
16,412 live animals
Spanish Lookout
208 L. Farmers
15,658 live animals
Little Belize
228 L. Farmers
1278 Live animals
Shipyard
413 L. Farmers
13862 live animals
Sittee River
3 L. Farmers
1603 live animals
Pine Hill
1 L. Farmer
1082 Live animals
by Carlos A. Itza, CEO BLPA 2016

11. NEW STAFF FOR THE BLR
Chief Executive
Officer
senior Staff
Management
Committee
BLR
Field
Coordinator
5 District ALA's
Senior ALA
Data Operators/
Debt Collectors
Brand Registry
Membership
Registry
by Carlos A. Itza, CEO BLPA 2016

12. BLR IS ABLE TO GENERATE SUFFICIENT
INFORMATION ON
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2014 387 777 924 1673 1668 823 943 972 1056 1140 566 491
2015 909 599 1295 877 971 564 501 243 593 734 988 571
0
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AxisTitle
Export
December 2015 Movement Permits
District Export Permits Exported Cattle Local Movement Number Of Cattle
Belize 4 6 39 102
Cayo 62 139 272 659
Corozal 3 3 65 81
Orange Walk 43 422 461 1995
Stann Creek 0 0 24 56
Toledo 1 1 103 239
Total 113 571 964 3132by Carlos A. Itza, CEO BLPA 2016

13. TRAINING AND PUBLIC AWARENESS
Training in Animal Health Issues /
nutrition / reproduction and
Disease from Corozal to Toledo
by Carlos A. Itza, CEO BLPA 2016

14. DEVELOPMENT OF KEY PERFORMANCE TOOL FOR
BLPA AS AN ORGANIZATION (see Annex 3: BLPA Score
Card)
As can be observed in the Score card, the organization has developed better systems in the
following areas from 34 to 72 points in the scale:
1. Hiring of personnel with the required background in other to provide assistance that is required in
the framework
2. Increasing the number of staff that will provide assistance in both technical and administrative
support in the areas of Veterinary services, project management, IT personnel and Financial
management
3. Increase the better access to the internet and communication with Foot soldiers on the ground
4. Increase in the number of members and paying members in the system
5. Investment in transport and mobility of Staff
6. Mechanisms to conduct feedback both written and verbal from farmers
7. Dedicate more time for generation of data from the BLR
8. Increase support for monitoring of diseases report in the Cattle sector along with the competent
authority
9. Increase the revenue streamline of BLPA to sustain the additional work conducted by BLPA
10. Increase the required documentation and required process for BLPA to maintain proper records of
activities, events, projects on behalf of ranchers of the country
11. Hired the support of recognized Auditing firms to provide a better auditing of the organization in
preparation of the use of international funds
•Move can be achieved but the process has started only in Jan 2016.
by Carlos A. Itza, CEO BLPA 2016

15. DEVELOPMENT OF KEY PERFORMANCE
TOOLS FOR THE CATTLE SECTOR
National Population Increase – it has been stable at no
more than 100,000 heads per annum
by Carlos A. Itza, CEO BLPA 2016

16. DEVELOPMENT OF KEY PERFORMANCE
TOOLS FOR THE CATTLE SECTOR
Healthy Herd – 97,353 head of cattle are clean.
It is expected that 3880 Free Herd Certificate to be issued by BAHA with
support from BLPA
by Carlos A. Itza, CEO BLPA 2016

17. DEVELOPMENT OF KEY PERFORMANCE TOOLS
FOR THE CATTLE SECTOR
by Carlos A. Itza, CEO BLPA 2016

18. The way forward
YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 YEAR 4 YEAR 5 YEAR 6
SWEEP 1 SWEEP 2 SWEEP 3 Active Surveillance
plan
Active Surveillance
plan
Active Surveillance
plan
Testing of Cattle for
Br and Tuberculosis
Testing of Cattle for
Br and Tuberculosis
Testing of Cattle for
Br and Tuberculosis
Testing of 10% of
national herd for
Tuberculosis
Testing of 10% of
national herd for
Tuberculosis
Testing of 10% of
national herd for
Tuberculosis
Internal Quarantine
and Movement
Control in Place
Internal Quarantine
and Movement Control
in Place
Internal Quarantine
and Movement
Control in Place
internal Quarantine
and Movement
Control in Place
SI to declare
Belize Free of
Brucellosis
SI to declare Belize
Free of Tuberculosis
Traceability System
Developed
Traceability System
Developed
Traceability in Place
(BLR)
Traceability System
maintained
Traceability
Upgraded and
maintained
Traceability System
maintained
Audit BNSCPP
BNSCPP Final Report
to EU
Implementation of Exit
Strategy
Epidemiological Implementation Plan starting Jan 2016.
by Carlos A. Itza, CEO BLPA 2016

19. BLPA SERVICE
• BLPA
Membership
• CARD that
will permit
you to buy at
a discount
price
• Brand
Registry
• The Belize
Law only
recognizes
the Brand
as the only
mark for
ownership
• Cattle
Ownership
• The
combination of
Brand and
Eartags will
provide a new
certificate that
will recognize.
by Carlos A. Itza, CEO BLPA 2016

20. BLPA SERVICE
• Cattle
Veterinary
Service
• BLPA will train
more farmers
and provide
vet services
along
Mexican Vets
and Team
testing
• Advertisement
• BLPA has a
facebook and
a webpage
where
members and
cattle farmers
can advertise
anything of
relevance to
the cattle
industry
• Tagging and
Testing
• BLPA will
continue
providing
tags and
conducting
testing for
Br and TB
by Carlos A. Itza, CEO BLPA 2016