Hope Creek Village, Stann Creek District, Belize, February 24, 2023.- Twenty small banana/plantain farmers and PMS (Project Management Service) staff members participated in this training. They learned about Foc TR4 symptoms, other pests and diseases, and ways to avoid them from the Taiwanese who had experience with a similar crop threat. This training was made possible by the regional project to prevent and control tropical banana Fusarium Race 4 in Central America, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture, BAHA, BGA, OIRSA, and Taiwan ICDF.

Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise signed the Belize Poultry Health Regulations Statutory Instrument No. 121 of 2022.

Six professionals from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise, and the Belize Agricultural Health Authority participated in a TR4 training From December 05 to 09, 2022, at the Manuel Mejia Foundation in Pereira, Colombia. The training was sponsored by the Fusarium Prevention Project between the Taiwan ICDF and OIRSA. The training focused on the biosecurity plan before, during, and after an outbreak of TR4, the need for a robust contingency plan to manage the disease, and the use of satellite imagery to assist in field surveillance. A panel of experts consisting of research institutions, public and private sector stakeholders, and the NPPO provided the training. The contingent returned to Belize with a better understanding of how serious this threat is to the region, including Belize, and how to implement prevention strategies to keep Belize free from this devastating disease of bananas and plantains. All biosecurity measures were taken by the participants while in Colombia.