The torrential rains in the latter part of 2012 set all kinds of records - and while you might be able to dismiss that as just a very wet year, think back to 2011 when there was a severe drought in the Belize district. In both extreme weather events, there was a significant loss of livestock - dozens of heads of cattle lost. The experts say its climate change - and now they have to prepare farmers for it. That's where the United Nations Development Programme and the European Union come in. They're implementing and funding the Global Climate Change Alliance - which has targeted the Belize River Valley with a pilot project.
But it's not some abstract scientific jaunt; they've come upon a very concrete programme that can be implemented immediately and the benefit will be felt in the short term. It's in the form of what are called Forage Chopping Machines which were handed over to 25 famers at the Sandhill Community center this afternoon.
We visited and found out more:..
Ricardo Thompson, Principal Agricultural Officer
"It a pilot that is actually being tested in the district because we see that the district is the lower reaches of the Belize River where rains that usually falls in the upper reaches in the country of that particular water shed actually finds its way to the lower reaches."
Hon. Hugo Pott, Minister of State - Ministry of Agriculture
"I think it would responsible and safe on any government to just turn your back on climate change and certainly it is affecting us. We have seen in the past, this is back in 2008 when we had some drought. Just last year we had some severe rains and as you would know whenever you live in an area where you are farming cattle it is an area in which you need interventions, yo need that support and you need readiness."
Wayne Moody, Full-time Farmer
"This project Sub inventory feeding is a major part of it, so that we can prepare feed, store it, but it's also done in a very 
efficient way. Corn or grains are very expensive - you can grow the right variety of grass that have a right level of protein and energy that keep the animal gaining weight rather than losing weight even during the rain or the excessive drought."
Ricardo Thompson, Principal Agricultural Officer
"These can actually develop into silage or hay which can be stored for hard times when it actually needed. That is in a way actually developing the resiliency of these farmers to be able to withstand these. It does not mean that you are going to eliminate climate change impacts, but what you do is trying to rebound from the shocks and be able to mitigate the adverse effects that is going to have on your enterprise."
Hon. Hugo Pott
"What is essence we are doing is providing food materials so that the farmers can be ready in times of drought and rains."
The farmers also got training in what kind of high protein grass to grow - to keep animals better nourished using less surface area.
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