Millions to benefit 29 Thousand Belizean Farmers

April 13, 2023 - A memorandum of understanding for the Climate Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture Project (CRESAP) was signed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise, Belize Agriculture Health Authority, Pesticides Control Board, University of Belize, the National Meteorological Service and the Belize Marketing and Development Corporation.

The CRESAP is being financed by an International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loan of US$25 million, US$2.5 of counterpart funds and US$18.20 million of commercial financing. Under the project, support will be provided to agricultural producers to adopt climate-smart agriculture technologies and practices via matching grants and private capital mobilization. Additionally, investments in strategic collective agricultural infrastructure assets will be made to contribute to increased agricultural production and sustainability while making farmers less vulnerable to climate change.

Direct beneficiaries of the CRESAP include 7,300 heads of household, of whom 7,000 will be farmers. When all members of the beneficiary households are considered, a total of 29,000 individuals will benefit, and of this, about 28,700 will be members of farm households. Furthermore, the project will aim for at least 30 percent of its beneficiaries to be women farmers.

Under CRESAP, relevant ministries and public institutions will also benefit from strengthened institutional capacity.

The CRESAP consists of two components:

Component 1: Institutional Strengthening (US$2.9375 million –financed by IBRD). This component focuses on strengthening the capacity of key public institutions (government agencies and academic organizations) to support a more productive and sustainable agricultural sector. The component will finance goods, small works, equipment, studies, training, consulting, and advisory services to Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise; Belize Agriculture Health Authority; Pesticides Control Board;

University of Belize; National Meteorological Service; and Belize Marketing and Development Corporation.

Component 2: Investments in Climate-Smart Agriculture (Total Cost: US$39.7 million, of which IBRD: US$19 million; commercial finance from Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs): US$18.2 million, and beneficiary farmers: US$2.5 million).

This component will finance three subcomponents: The three subcomponents are interrelated and complementary leading to the objective of strength-

5 FEB 2023 ening the capacity of farmers and participating financial intermediaries engaging in climate-smart agricultural investments under the Project, as to be able to take advantage of the provision of financing to farmers (matching grants and loans from PFIs) to adopt CSA tech- nologies and practices, and increasing their productivity, levels of income and resiliency to climate change and weather events.

The Belize Times

Given the vulnerability to climate disasters, the project contains a Contingent Emergency Response Component.

Request For Expression Of Interest

The US Government-funded Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has selected Belize as one of only two countries in the world for a five-year government to government grant to fund a program aimed at reducing poverty and stimulating economic growth.

The Government of Belize (GOB) through the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, and Investment, have contracted a team of individual consultants to form a Compact Development Team in Belize that will work together with a U.S.-based MCC Team to conduct a diagnosis of the constraints to economic growth, prepare concept notes, develop project proposals, and plan for project implementation.

The Belize Compact Development Team will be led by a National Coordinator who will manage the team, engage key stakeholders across all sectors, and bear responsibility for the overall performance and work quality of the team. The Finance and Administration Director will be a member of BCDT and will work closely with the Program Coordinator and other members of the BCDT as well as the MCC team to lead the finance, informational technology, security and administrative unit and is responsible for the strategic and day-to-day management of the BCDT budget and ensuring the BCDT’s fiduciary integrity and financial health are based on the MCC’s Financial Guidelines.

Vacant Post

1. Financial Director

Remuneration: Competitive salary and benefits are offered, commensurate with academic level, work experience and other relevant strengths of the winning candidate. Kindly follow the below link for further details.

https://med.gov.bz/

Interested candidates are requested to submit ONE PDF File that shall include: a) Letter of Interest indicating the post being applied for; b) the curriculum vitae, c) copies of university degrees, and d) the names of 3 references.

Subsequently the top 3 applicants for the post will be interviewed.

Deadline for application is 12th May at 4:00pm. Application can be sent via email to: econdev@med.gov.bz or hand delivered to the address indicated below:

Chief Executive Officer Ministry of Economic Development

Sir Edney Cain Building Ground Floor, Right Wing Belmopan City, Belize C.A.

Any request for clarification should be sent via email no later than 8th May 2023. Responses will be provided within three days.

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