The main speakers at the ceremony were the Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise, and Hon. Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Immigration. Minister Courtenay pledged his Ministry’s support for export-oriented activities such as cattle export and stated that the collaboration between the two ministries and relevant stakeholders will continue to strengthen formalization of the cattle trade. Minister Mai underscored the importance of the cattle trade as an important economic activity for Belize. The Minister said that the value of export earnings of the cattle trade is right behind that of sugar, a long established export commodity.