And last night, you heard the BAHA chairman, Hugh O'Brien, say that he doesn't think the Mennonite community should get into the ostrich industry, considering that they monopolise the poultry and dairy industries. While Marin agreed with him, the minister isn't too keen on leaving any farmer behind.
Hon. Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs & New Growth Industries
"We are an open and free market and so any group of people, any farmer that's interest in this particular industry can explore and venture and invest in this industry. There's no restriction on who can invest in it, I think what we have to look at is not giving any particular group any incentives or additional concession more than others, it has to be across the board opportunities for all Belizeans, not just a specific group."
Nancy Marin, Ostrich Farmer
"I was also happy to note, I saw you guys interview Mr O'Brien, the new chairman for BAHA, he is fully onboard and I was very happy for his last statement requesting that the mennonites step back off of this industry because my fight for seven years was not just to bring an animal into Belize, or a new species into Belize. My fight is that the farmer of Belize have been left out, we have given up our food sovereignty to the Mennonites and with groceries to the Chinese, but in this case we're focusing on the Mennonites and it is time that local farmers have something for ourselves and this is ostrich."
Courtney Menzies:
"How difficult is it to rear ostriches and do you feel like Belizeans will make the effort, Belizean farmers?"
Nancy Marin, Ostrich Farmer
"You know, I grew up in a cattle ranch so I'm used to livestock, and I will tell you that it is a lot easier, it is a lot easier than rearing cows. So I have gotten interest, we have at least 16 local farmers that are interested, people are texting, saying, I have ten acres, I have fifty acres, how many ostriches could I rear with this amount of land. We can actually rear are ostriches than we can livestock in the amount of land small farmers have. So it's going to be very easy as long as we follow procedures and we keep the health and sanitary confinement of the animals is what is important but as long as we get through that, it will be easy. I think we will have management plan that will be very easy for farmers to follow and we will follow all of the procedures and requirements that both BAHA and Forestry have to give us but we will do that under a very organised structure, we are forming the Association of Ostrich Livestock in Belize."
And according to Marin, the association will be the only organisation that will be allowed to buy ostriches, meaning that individual farmers - or even residents - won't be able to purchase them on their own.
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