Before the break we told you about Finpyme (FIN-PI-MEH) Export Plus, a programme where producers get to pitch their product before a panel of prospective money lenders.
The idea is to get financing for products that can break into the CARICOM market. If it sounds familiar, it should; it's like the TV show shark tank:..
Mike Singh, CEO- Ministry of Trade
"Think about it - you know the show the "Shark Tank" - it's along the line of where they come up, present their project, talk about what they are looking to do and they get feedback and advice and possibility of financing as well."
Shahera McKoy, Export Belize - BELTRAIDE
"The idea was to take the idea that the companies had to look at a specific project that they wanted to develop that would lead to them accessing export markets or developing systems in place to make them more export ready."
Kahlil Salazar, PURE NATURE MD
"This is for a development an all-natural fruit sour sop based drink that has been shown to have properties to lower your blood sugar level - improve your glucose metabolism. It's very refreshing for us. We are excited about it. We can't wait to get the product off the production line and into Caricom because that's really what we want to do. We want to export to Caricom. 27 million people in Caricom, 15 million suffer from obesity, hypertension or diabetes. Belize has 13% prevalence of diabetes which is about 43,000 - that's the statistics on paper - it's much more than that."
Shahera McKoy, Export Belize - BELTRAIDE
"Once they started getting into the process of looking at the opportunities that does exist, they became excited. I work particularly with two of the companies; Caribbean Premier and Quality Poultry and I can certainly say that the excitement is there in terms of advancing the projects further."
Mike Singh, CEO- Ministry of Trade
"From what I am hearing from the people in the room, there is lots of interest from getting them to where they want to be."
Jules Vasquez
"Do you think these products, the one you work with, are products that we will soon see in the Caribbean on grocery store shelves?"
Shahera McKoy, Export Belize - BELTRAIDE
"Certainly, I am excited for the companies and I can see the possibilities."
Salazar's PURE Nature MD recently pitched the same project to a panel at an investors' showcase IN BARBADOS and got a million dollars in MATHCING FUNDS - meaning they'll LEND a million in financing if he can come up with a million.
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