On October 28, 2026, Belize’s Minister of Agriculture Rodwell Ferguson issued a critical clarification to local farming communities regarding the financial structure of the Climate Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture Project (CRESAP), a flagship initiative designed to help producers adopt climate-smart farming techniques and reinforce domestic food security. The future of the program, which has served as a vital lifeline for small-scale agricultural operators across the country, is currently under review as the Belizean government pursues an operational extension from the World Bank, the project’s primary funder.
Ferguson confirmed that a World Bank assessment delegation departed Belize the previous Saturday, following a series of site visits that included the official groundbreaking ceremony for the new Coral Institute facility in a Corozal District village. The delegation expressed strong satisfaction with the program’s on-the-ground progress, but the final ruling on whether the project’s mandate will be extended rests with senior World Bank leadership, not the visiting on-site team. The proposal for extension is now being deliberated at the global institutional headquarters.
A key point Ferguson emphasized to farmers is that CRESAP support is not free of long-term public sector cost: all funding disbursed under the program comes from a World Bank loan that the Government of Belize is obligated to repay in full. Currently, the government covers 100% of the repayment to the World Bank, while only requiring farmers to contribute 40% of the cost of program-related resources and upgrades, meaning the state effectively absorbs a 60% subsidy for every participating agricultural producer. Recent CRESAP investments include a BZ$3 million purpose-built cattle export corral in Chan Chen Village, a facility set to boost the competitiveness of Belize’s livestock sector in regional and international export markets.
The minister’s public remarks aim to set realistic expectations for farming communities as they await the World Bank’s final extension decision, while highlighting the substantial public financial commitment that underpins the climate adaptation support the sector has accessed to date.