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Mark Hazeldine (centre) with BELTRAIDE staff Brian Lin, Investment Officer Agribusiness and Ruby Pescascio, Marketing Officer. They are discussing a report on the status of the mango industry with a view to increasing exports.

Profile: Mark Hazeldine, Market Access Adviser

5 November 2010

Commonwealth expert looks to boost Belize’s competitiveness in the international trade market

Mark Hazeldine, who has over 30 years' experience in international trade behind him, is currently working in Belize as a Market Access Adviser for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that are involved in agribusiness and wood products manufacturing.

Posted there for two years, the expert from New Zealand - who took up the job in May 2010 - is aiming to boost Belize’s competitiveness in the international trade market.

As part of his work, Mark, who is funded by the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation, works closely with the Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE). He is involved in developing a road map for the country’s trade programme by building sustainable and globally competitive companies. This involves training businessmen and women in how best to access the international trade market, and transferring his knowledge and skills to the BELTRAIDE staff.

What is agribusiness?

Agribusiness is a broad term used to describe businesses involved in all different stages of food production, from farming to processing.

With agriculture providing a significant contribution to Belize’s total foreign exchange earnings and employing almost a third of the total labour force, Mark’s work is critical to building the sustainability and competitiveness of SMEs in that sector.

As well as enhancing knowledge of the international trade market, Mark also focuses on helping SMEs improve their logistics skills in terms of accessing viable markets outside the country. He acknowledges that the physical distribution of goods outside the country is posing problems, as shipping and air freight are limited.

What is the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation?

The Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation (CFTC) is the principal means by which the Commonwealth Secretariat delivers development assistance to member countries.

One of the ways the Secretariat uses the CFTC is to place experts - from environmental economists to high court judges and law revision experts - in developing countries to help governments enhance public services in a variety of sectors.

Distribution within Belize is also an issue for those enterprises seeking to grow their domestic sales. “Belize has a small population for a large country in terms of land space and this makes it very difficult for distributing goods,” explains Mark.

Despite these challenges Mark believes his involvement with BELTRAIDE and SMEs will create opportunities for agribusinesses to boost their competitiveness through improved access to sustainable local and international markets.

“A lot of what I am doing in terms of training is trying to get SMEs to expand and look more widely at market opportunities rather than focusing on the potential barriers. I am looking at expanding distribution to Mexico and Guatemala through existing trade agreements and I am also working to increase access in other geographical markets,” he said.

Before this assignment Mark worked as a New Zealand Trade Commissioner and was involved in dairy technology projects in South America and China, focusing on technology transfer in the agribusiness industry.