Belize hosts regional Fruit Fly meeting as 50-year Medfly Control programme reaches milestone
By Zoila Palma: Belize hosted the XII Meeting of the Fruit Fly Commission on August 27, 2026, in Placencia, bringing together senior representatives from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Mexico’s SENASICA, Guatemala’s MAGA, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and New Growth Industries (MAFSNGI), and the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA). The annual […] The post Belize hosts regional Fruit Fly meeting as 50-year Medfly Control programme reaches milestone appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
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By Zoila Palma: Belize hosted the XII Meeting of the Fruit Fly Commission on August 27, 2026, in Placencia, bringing together senior representatives from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Mexico’s SENASICA, Guatemala’s MAGA, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and New Growth Industries (MAFSNGI), and the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA).
The annual meeting serves as a key platform for regional coordination under the Trinational Agreement between the United States, Mexico and Guatemala to prevent and control the spread of the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) into North America.
Commissioners reviewed achievements, assessed emerging risks and priorities, and agreed on the joint work programme and budget for 2027, with the continued protection of the Medfly-free areas of Belize and Petén, Guatemala remaining a priority.
This year’s meeting also marked the 50th anniversary of the regional Medfly programme and Belize’s national programme, which began in 1976 with support from the USDA.
Over the past five decades, BAHA’s plant health teams have maintained Belize’s Medfly-free status through ongoing surveillance and rapid response efforts, helping protect agricultural production and preserve access to international markets for commodities that are hosts of the pest.
The milestone also provided an opportunity to recognize BAHA officers whose technical expertise and dedicated fieldwork have contributed to the programme’s success, with staff receiving awards for their service.
The meeting concluded with Chief Executive Officer Servulo Baeza signing the 2027 Cooperative Agreement between Belize and the United States, securing continued technical and financial support for the country’s Medfly prevention and control efforts.
The post Belize hosts regional Fruit Fly meeting as 50-year Medfly Control programme reaches milestone appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
