Larger in size potatoes that have been washed over with a pink coloration have been circulating at the markets in San Ignacio and Santa Elena Town for a few days now, but the alarm bells were sounded last week by Bart Mickler, owner of the Maya Mountain Lodge, who noted that the potatoes that he had bought did not fit well with the locally produced ones. Residents in Cayo were also reporting that the pink from the potatoes rubbed off and left a pink residue on counter tops. Elsa Lopez who maintains a vegetable stall in Santa Elena Town reports seeing the pink in color potatoes from about two weeks ago.
But the pink potatoes were not just appearing in markets in Cayo. Alberto Paquiul reports seeing them at vegetable stalls in Dangriga while Mary Blease, reports seeing the artificially colored product in Caye Caulker.
It now seems that the potatoes that have been given that fuchsia color were intended to compete with the red skin variety of Irish Potatoes now being harvested by San Antonio Farmers in the Cayo District and in the North of the country. This was confirmed last week by Chief Agricultural Officer, Roberto Harrison, who reported that there was an intent to have the dyed potatoes appear to be locally produced.
By Friday of last week, the authorities had sprung into action to confiscate the dyed potatoes from the San Ignacio Market and from other parts of the Country; except for Corozal and Orange Walk. A press release issued on Thursday of last week from the Belize Agriculture Health Authority (BAHA) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Agriculture stated that the public is advised not to purchase or consume those tainted potatoes.
Belizean farmers started to harvest some 500,000 to 800,000 pounds of potatoes last week. The most recent permit to import potatoes was issued January 8th so that there was no competition with the locally produced potatoes. Belize imports potatoes from both Holland and Mexico.
About 20 licenses were issued for the importation of potatoes from Mexico and there is a likelihood that the tainted products are coming from there. Belizean authorities are now trying to ascertain the exact quantities that were imported from January 8th to January 31st of this year.
The chemical composition of the pink substance on the potatoes appearing in Cayo and other parts of the Country is not know at this time;Â though BAHA is conducting analysis of the product to guide further action.
