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Agriculture
Accounting for proximity 70% of total foreign exchange earnings, the
agricultural sector employs about 30% of the labor force and 2.2 million acres
of land considered potentially suitable for agriculture is in use. Approximately
half of this is under pasture, with the remainder in a variety of permanent and
annual corps.
The
corps is dominated by the sugar industry, which average production of 100,000
tons from 60,000 acres of sugar cane concentrated in the
Corozal and
Orange Walk
Districts. During 1996, improvements in growing and harvesting conditions saw
sugarcane production rising 20.2% to 1.23 million tons. Heavy rainfall impacted
sugar extraction, however, and sugar production rose only 3.3% to 110,500 tons.
Total revenues from sugar exports, representing about 40% of hard currency
earnings, increased by 14.4% in 1996, to total $47.2 million. The Petrojam Sugar
Factory in Libertad produced 39,949 tons of molasses for export to Jamaica as
raw material for ethanol production.
The
citrus industry, centered in the Stann Creek District, is the second major
contributor to export earnings, with the bulk of output from 59,633 acres of
orange and grapefruit groves processed into concentrate, oil and squash for
export. For the 1996 crop year, production of oranges rose 1.1% to 129,200 tons,
but grapefruit output declined by 4.5% to 42,100 tons. Citrus concentrate
production was 14.7 million liters, about the same level as the previous crop
year; while the volume of orange concentrate rose 0.5% to 11.3 million liters.
Total citrus export earnings were $31.6 million. Citrus growers are modernizing
orchards and expanding production, particularly for the high quality Valencia
orange.
Representing the third largest export crop, banana exports reached record level
in 1996, with an increase of 41.5% in earnings to total $28.6 million. An
agreement has been signed with the European Union for assistance with infra
structural improvements in the banana industry.
The Government is encouraging the diversification of production and exports into
non-traditional areas such as papayas, mangoes, and winter vegetables. Peanuts
are being exported primarily to Barbados where they are manufactured into peanut
butter. Cacao is gaining in importance as an export crop, particularly in the
Cayo and Toledo Districts. Dairy farming also is becoming more significant and
the livestock industry continues to grow.
During the 1997, the Multilateral Investment Fund approved its first finance
package for Belize, a US$1.14 million grant to assist small farmers and
fisherman. Specifically, the funds will be used to identify new markets, new
products and improve production. Additionally, the government of Taiwan in 1997
agreed to provide Belize with a line of credit for US$10 million, to be used for
lending to small enterprises in the productive sector. A $9.08 million loan from
the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) provides a line of credit to the
Development Finance Corporation (DFC) of Belize for project lending in key
sectors, including agriculture. A proposed $5 million loan from the
Inter-American Development Bank is to be directed towards an Agriculture
Diversification and Marketing Program, to be defined in accordance with the
National Development Plan.*
* Source: Permanent Mission of Belize to the
OAS.
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Updated: 18 March 2008 |
