Belize is investing $3 million in a new cattle export corral in Chan Chen Village, Corozal, to strengthen the livestock industry and support access to the Mexican market.
The project is being financed through the World Bank-funded Climate Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture Project (CRESAP), in collaboration with the Belize Social Investment Fund (BSIF), the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and New Growth Industries, and the Ministry of Economic Transformation.
Belize Livestock Producers Association (BLPA) Chairperson Arden Edwards said the facility is necessary to maintain live cattle exports to Mexico.
“One of the requirements from SENASICA, that if we want cattle to be exported live on the hoof to Mexico, there must be an inspection corral within seven miles of the Mexican border,” he said.
Edwards added that construction had already progressed, with the land cleared and filled, and a water system installed.
According to Narda Garcia, Chief Executive Officer in the Office of the Prime Minister, Belize exported approximately 7,750 head of cattle to Mexico in 2025, generating more than $16 million in revenue against an annual export quota of 10,000 head.
“These figures tell a compelling story. They demonstrate the importance of this market and the opportunities available to Belizean farmers when the right infrastructure and the right support systems are in place,” Garcia said.
Ferguson said Belize’s cattle herd had grown from approximately 203,000 head in 2025 to 217,000 in 2026. He said Belize must find ways to expand its export markets as production increases.
“I recognized that if we expand our cattle industry, and Mexico is only taking 10,000 per year as we speak, then what are we going to do with the remainder of cattle?” Ferguson said.
Ferguson also pointed to the proposed beef-processing plant in Fireburn, Orange Walk, as another potential outlet for Belize’s growing cattle industry.
Carlos Pol, Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Economic Transformation, said the investment is intended to help producers turn their work and resources into greater commercial opportunities.
“The responsibility now is to carry this cooperation through construction into effective cooperation. We want to see producers using this facility and export transactions being completed,” he said.
Melissa Brown, senior agricultural economist at the World Bank, said the corral was not part of CRESAP’s original design but was included following advocacy from the BLPA and collaboration among the project’s partners.
“This is a really important investment, which has the potential to expand market access on the part of livestock producers here in Belize,” Brown said.
