Hurricane season is just 26 days away, and a punishing drought is already building up. For many smallholder farmers in Belize, it could mean a failed harvest and tougher times ahead.
El Niño conditions are highly likely to develop by July, forecasters warn. It is expected to bring a “longer than usual” dry spell in the coming months, which has triggered the Ministry of Agriculture, the National Meteorological Service, and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to jointly activate Belize’s Anticipatory Action mechanism.
It will be putting cash directly into the hands of farmers from districts most at risk from the expected dry conditions, such as Orange Walk, Corozal, and Cayo.
The money can be spent on water-storage equipment, irrigation supplies, or drought-tolerant seeds.
WFP’s Brian Bogart said acting early “can mean the difference between a manageable shock and a devastating crisis.” He added that the anticipatory action allows stakeholders “to use scientific evidence to get ahead of drought impacts, protect farmers’ livelihoods, and reduce the long-term cost of disasters.”
The programme was developed over nearly two years, with funding from Canada, the European Union, Ireland, and the United States.
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