The May 2014 - June 2014 issue of The BELIZE AG REPORT is online.
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This Issue's Stories:

  • Stubeef Jerky Returns To the Delight of Former Customers: Although still a young man, Stuart Doley has been making jerky for decades. Growing up in Virginia (USA), he made venison jerky from deer that he hunted. In university he continued refining his recipes and techniques making jerky in a small dehydrator for himself and friends. It is not surprising that soon after his arrival in Belize in 2010 he was at it again, turning local grassfed beef into beef jerky. Using Running W meats he tested the local market under the trade name STUBEEF JERKY. Just as his market here was taking off, Stuart detoured to Barcelona, Spain for an MBA degree. He and his Belizean fianc� returned to Cayo District early in 2013 to tie the knot and revive and expand STUBEEF JERKY. In fall of 2013 their Belize City processing facility, including equipment enabling production of up to 100 lbs. of jerky a week, opened for business. Meats destined for jerky must be lean; wild meats such as venison, known for its lack of marbling is ideal but is not sufficiently available locally. After trying several cuts of beef, testing for texture, tenderness, leanness and flavor, Stuart decided Running W's fresh grass-fed round steak best fits his criteria. The steak is custom cut into pieces of 1/8th inch thickness across the grain and all excess fat is trimmed. Fats are not desirable in jerky, as they increase rancidity risk. Stuart's secret blend of spices and seasonings are mixed with soy sauce, sugar, salt and sodium and placed into a vacuum tumbler. Only natural preservatives are used. 40 lbs. of the meat pieces are added to the mixture already inside the cylindrical stainless steel container. The top is sealed shut, the vacuum tube is attached and in just a few minutes the vacuum pump sucks all of the air out of the cylinder. The sealed cylinder is placed horizontally onto rollers which rotate the container on top of the machine. In 30 minutes all of the marinade is absorbed into the meat.
  • TO THE EDITOR: ORGANIC�.What does that really mean? Having been involved in organic agriculture for many years, I believe that 'organic' is more than just agriculture; it is a commitment to a lifestyle. 'Let your food be your medicine and let your medicine be your food', quoting Hippocrates, the famous Greek physician, known as 'the father of modern medicine'. Decades of research has established the definite link between illness and diet. The counter-culture of the 'back to the land' generation of the 1960s, turned into the organic agriculture industry of the 1970's until our present day. But does eating only food grown without synthetic chemicals tell the whole story? Why does organic food cost more? Because it is more labor intensive. Is the extra cost worth the extra benefits? Are you in perfect health? Do you take any man made medicines? However, eating only organic food is not the entire answer to being healthful. We are subjected to chemical toxins in our bath soaps, toothpaste, shampoo, dishwashing liquids, laundry detergents, cleaning agents and cosmetics to name just a few.
  • It's time to run the citrus industry as a business.: Ten years ago, when the Comonwealth Development Corporation handed over the citrus processing plants (Del Oro) to the Belize citrus industry, for $1, the Citrus Growers Association (CGA) was seen as a responsible conduit to handle the shares on behalf of Belizean citrus growers. Since then, the CGA has divested itself of 59% of those shares for various reasons. The rights or wrongs of these decisions can be argued from different points of view. The fact still remains that growers now own only 41% of the shares. It is time to remove totally these shares from the control of CGA and proportionally place them in individual growers names based on production. This will remove the ability of CGA to use these shares for some other scheme which will have no benefit to growers directly. Since the control of the processing has been in CGA hands, citrus production has declined dramatically to the lowest ever recorded last year, and growers delivering fruit have declined from approx. 1000 to 384 last year. Small growers production has declined from over one million boxes to less than half a million. So clearly, the ownership of the processing has not benefited growers in any way. As regards prices, we still receive less than half what USA growers receive, despite the fact that the processing factory invested four years ago in the equipment to produce consumer ready packs of fresh orange juice which sell for a much higher price and would have led to growers receiving almost double what the factory currently pays.
  • Roots and Shoots Mini Ag Fair in Consejo, Corozal: A small local garden club called Roots and Shoots is a special interest group with members from around the Corozal area. Most of our members have simple gardens, grow flowers, shrubs and fruit trees, and some have small vegetable gardens, and a few have small farms. The club meets every second Monday to discuss various topics of gardening in the tropics, listen to an invited speaker or member of the club or visit members' gardens. Our club has had many field trips to Cayo, Toledo, Stan Creek and Orange Walk Districts visiting nurseries and farms. We've also attended The National Agriculture Fair in Belmopan and Sustainable Harvest International (SHI) Organic Fair in Punta Gorda. On 31 March 2014, Roots and Shoots held our very own 1st Annual Mini Ag Fair at the Consejo Shores Community Center, Corozal District, just 6 miles north of Corozal Town. It was a great success -- thanks to all the organizing and hard work of one of our leading members, Beverley Griffiths. We had a very large turnout of members and guests. We had a number of interesting presenters: John Masson, Pandora Canton and Nana Mensah with Yasmin Ramirez from SHI -- who traveled to be with us from as far away as Belize City and Punta Gorda.
  • Citrus Greening in Belize: Currently Belize has about 42,000 acres of land devoted to citrus groves. Over the last couple of years, Huang Long Bin (HLB) - yellow shoot disease or citrus greening - has caused several thousand acres of groves to be abandoned and now less than 400 citrus farmers are active. This is down from a high of about 1,000 + farmers a few years ago. According to the schoolmen, the disease is caused by a bacterium that inhabits the phloem (energy conducting tissues) of the tree and so far has affected all citrus varieties. The bacterium is transmitted by an insect pest called the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorinacitri. No data exists to show that the disease is transmitted by tools, wind, rain, or human interaction. According to the experts no cure exists for the HLB disease and only two solutions can work. The first is to cut down all infected trees and burn everything, then plant new trees from greenhouses that were freed of the Asian citrus psyllid. It is very expensive at some Bz$ 3,500 per acre. The other alternative is to wait and pray that soon the results of genetic engineering of citrus trees will produce citrus trees that are resistant to the Asian citrus psyllid. A new twist being tried by the CGA is to release "beneficial' insects in the groves to attack and destroy the Asian citrus psyllid. This new approach is to buy time so that in the next two-three years the growers can be able to import GMO citrus trees from Florida.
  • 2014 International Year of Family Farming Lots of Positive Change for the Future: The United Nations has designated 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming bringing attention to the importance of family farmers, including smallholder farmers, and their role in helping to nourish the world. The celebration is also aptly timed; it is reported that nearly 900 million people go to bed hungry every night and the global population is expected to reach more than nine billion people by the year 2050. The world will need to not only increase agricultural production, but to engage in agricultural practices that are more efficient and environmentally sustainable. Smallholder farmers are in a unique position to contribute to the global food supply, but empowering smallholder and family farmers is a vital step toward improving nutrition, increasing incomes, protecting and enhancing biodiversity, enhancing soil quality, conserving water, and mitigating and adapting to climate change. Equally important as the goal of feeding the world is the necessity of growing more nutrient-dense crops. All farmers can have a direct impact on nutrition through the crops that they choose to grow and consume, as well as through postharvest and preparation methodologies they use.
  • BEYOND THE BACK YARD: By Jenny Wildman "Oh I do like to be beside the seaside": People ask me, "What is your favourite thing that grows in your garden?" Without hesitation I say, "Asparagus" which surprises them - that it actually grows here in the tropics. I walk out most mornings and check the patch in hopes of a few delicate shoots to eat, raw and delicious. For me this is the best way and feels very healthy as it is rich in all kinds of nutritious vitamins, A, C, E, B12 and K, plus minerals and antioxidants. It is low in calories with no fat, no cholesterol, and no sodium. First off I always consider what it can do for one's health. It is a good source of fiber, a natural diuretic, improves mental ability, contains glutathione known to break down carcinogens and therefore fights and protects against cancer and aging. There are innumerable case studies on the benefits of asparagus. People have criticized its very pungent aroma and its effect on the body yet memorably some like Dr. Urbino in Marquez' "Love in the Time of Cholera" welcome the effects on the urine which he insisted on spraying on his beloved garden. I have only a small patch so really never get to cooking bunches from the garden. I grew this from a crown given to me from a friend who successfully grows rows and rows in Corozal District. I probably broke all the planting rules but like me, the asparagus plant originates from a maritime location and loves sand, sea and salt -which could explain why the useless sandy nature of my land is blessed with my favourite vegetable.
  • Bananas in Danger: TR4 Panama Disease: The next time you bite into a banana, take a moment to savor the delicious treat. With its sweet, consistent taste and creamy texture, it is no wonder that bananas are the world's most popular fruit. What most do not realize as they are peeling away its golden skin to devour the scrumptious pulp is that bananas are in danger. A serious fungal disease threatens to devastate the world-wide banana industry. The culprit: Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Cubense, which causes Fusarium wilt or Panama disease, particularly Tropical Race 4. According to ProMusa, an organization dedicated to promoting banana industry news and science, the fungus survives in the soil and "enters the plant through the roots and colonizes the xylem vessels thereby blocking the flow of water and nutrients." Once water flow is obstructed, the plant's leaves wilt, its base splits open, and the plant later dies. This is not the first time banana producers have had to deal with Panama disease. Initial reports of the original fungus were noted in 1874 in Southeast Asia. The disease was identified and researched as it began taking a devastating toll on the Gros Michel banana, which was the common commercially-produced banana. By the 1890s, the disease had reached Central America and proceeded to spread, wiping out plantations.
  • TAMARIND: The tamarind tree is a leguminous tree (a tree which bears pods). Tamarind fruit in pods, or hulled is available in farmers' markets around Belize from January - April. The tamarind tree (Tamarindus indica), a member of the Fabaceae family, is an evergreen tree which has become increasingly popular in Belize and Central America. Other names for the tamarind tree include: Indian date (tamar-hindi), or tamarindo. The origin of this leguminous tree is in East Africa, particularly in the Sudan where the tree grows wild. The fruit was well-known to the ancient Egyptians, and also to the Greeks as far back the fourth-century B.C. Its origin is also traced to India where is it well-known and prolifically cultivated. Taiwan, southern Asia, Oceana, China as well as most tropical countries world-wide produce tamarinds. Marco Polo introduced tamarinds to Europe in 1298. Tamarind trees were introduced in Mexico in the sixteenth century. Mexico presently cultivates over 10,000 acres of tamarinds. If you enjoy Worcestershire sauce or Marie Sharp's Special Sauce, you may be surprised to know one of the main ingredients is tangy, sweet and sour tamarind syrup. Tamarind trees have many uses including: culinary, medicinal, carpentry, as a metal polish, as an ornamental shade tree, animal fodder, and as mulch. Tamarind trees are showy and elegant; they produce a magnificent canopy of year-round foliage. Trees can reach up to one hundred feet tall with graceful branches spreading over forty feet across. Some trees are known to survive and produce fruit for two hundred years!
  • World Market Prices for Citrus Growers: Last year, according to figures from Citrus Products of Belize, Ltd. (CPBL), 385 growers delivered fruit to the processing facility. Orange production was 4 M cxs from a claimed 30,000 acres with an average of 130 cxs per acre. The industry has never achieved an average of 400 cxs per acre. When we delivered 7 M cxs from 40,000 acres, 8 years ago, the average was 175 cxs per acre. Some few groves had production of 400 cxs per acre. It was never an industry wide figure, as low prices prevented growers from affording the necessary inputs. Even with the same inputs our harvest figures for Valencia are different depending on rootstock. Our 18 year old Valencia are on Sour Orange rootstock; the average production is 350 cxs per acre. Fifteen years ago we were advised by the Citrus Growers Association (CGA) that trees grafted on to Sour Orange would be dead in 5 years and that we should use Swingle rootstock instead. But our 15 year old Valencia on Swingle rootstock averages only 30 cxs per acre and are dying. There is never one simple cause to the problems in agriculture. The decline in citrus production over the past 5 years is a combination of the greening disease, faulty rootstocks and, particularly, low prices to growers. For years, Belizean citrus growers have been paid prices which are much lower than world market prices for citrus juices. The citrus processors in Belize have traditionally produced citrus concentrates, which sell for much lower prices on the world market than the ready-to-drink juices produced in consumer ready packs, such as the "Tetra Pak". These types of packs have the advantage that they can be distributed and stored without the need for refrigeration.
  • Soil Conditioners: Previous articles in the Belize Ag Report have addressed the need for soil amendments which are those things added to soils to make up a deficiency or to improve the quality of soils. They include a wide range of organic and non-organic materials with different effects. This article deals with soil conditioners or beneficially changing the soil. A soil conditioner is a type of amendment that is added mostly to improve the soil's physical qualities and thereby enhance the chemical properties, especially the ability to retain moisture and provide food for plants. Soil conditioners improve poor soils, rebuild damaged soils, and can be used to maintain soils in peak condition. Organic soil conditioners include plant and animal wastes -compost, biochar, bone, blood and fish meal, peat, coir (coconut husk), manure, straw, vermiculite, sulfur, lime, blood meal, compost tea, hydroabsorbent polymers and sphagnum moss and even some mineral fertilizers, such as ammonium sulphate, that leave acidic residues, or calcitic and magnesic fertilizers that leave basic residues. The possibility of using other materials to assume the role of composts and clays in improving the soil gave rise to the term, soil conditioning. Soil Structure. The most common use of soil conditioners is to improve looseness while having good soil structure. Depending on compaction, soils impede root growth and decrease the ability of plants to take up nutrients and water. Soil conditioners can add more airiness and improve texture ratios to keep the soil loose as well as reduce harmful chemical effects such as too high or too low pH.
  • BEL-CAR Updates: A good market for beans should continue in 2014. Beans were still being harvested in late April, finishing approximately 2 weeks later than normal due to the excessive rains which delayed planting time. The later beans, black eyes and RKs, have slightly better yields than the earlier beans. This yield variation may be due to the dryness at the critical podding time for the earlier beans, rather than rains. Sales this season for beans appear bright, as there is a world shortage of beans. The US Dry Bean Council is advising US farmers to plant 15-20% more beans; however the reality is that the US is projected to be planting less due to a seed shortage. There have even been inquiries from the US to Belize seeking to purchase RK seeds here. Similar seed shortages are reported in Central America but not in Belize. Here, generally farmers save their own RKs for planting the following season; however they are encouraged to purchase certified seed every 4 or 5 years. Due to the lateness of this year's crop, Belize was forced to import one container (50,000 lbs.) of RKs in December. Jamaica was also totally out of RKs to start the new year, due to shipping problems. Beans were ready but ships were too full to take our beans there. After this was remedied, the pendulum swung to create a glut of beans in Jamaica. There is a chance to over-export beans this year with the world shortage, but BEL-CAR monitors carefully to avoid a local shortage. Corn is stable at present on the Chicago market, but is expected to climb as demand in the world is rising.
  • Bird Watch - From My Perch: By Marguerite Fly Bevis Endangered Species: Although Belize boasts at least 444 species of birds, the Scarlet Macaw (Aramacaocyanoptera) is one of the most beautiful and one of the most threatened birds in the jewel. Scarlet Macaws have survived the tragic flooding of their habitat by dams built in the mid 2000's. In 1989 there were about 200 known Scarlet Macaws in the country. Today, there may be 200 to 250 birds. They remain at threat due to the incursion of poachers who steal chicks and cut down nesting trees. Scarlet Macaws are already extirpated in most of Central America. Funding is needed for patrolling, fuel, supplies for the conservation teams working in very remote locations within the Chiquibul Forest Reserve. Due to monitoring and protection efforts of the Friends for Conservation (FCN), the "Scarlet Six,"a group dedicated to protecting this important species, and individuals, Sharon Matola of the Belize Zoo, Dr Isabelle Paquet-Durand of the Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinic, Charles Britt, Kristi Drexler, Roni Martinez and many others, poaching in recent years has dropped from 90% to 30% according to a monitoring team in 2013. U.S. citizens can make tax deductible donations to the Rainforest Rescue Foundation, specifying the funds to be allocated to the Belize Scarlet Macaw project.
  • Results Of The 2014 Fourth Annual Bird-A-Thon: The Bird-a-Thon is held annually with the goal of raising $15,000. Expect to see many more lodges and individual teams participating next year in March. You can help by sponsoring one of the teams or lodges, donating per species or per eagle, or just give anything you wish. Please feel free to contact me with birding news and conservation efforts
  • BLPA Works to Address Membership Needs: Following a successful AGM the end of February, BLPA has buckled down following through on ongoing projects and expanding into new areas. At the AGM, one new director was added, Mr. Albert Moore, of Cayo District. Officers for the new board will be reported in issue 26. Prices for finished steers/bulls and prices for breeding heifers continue their upward climb. (See pg. 14 for charts showing Belize cattle prices over the past 5 yrs.) The market outlook for cattle production in Belize continues to look very bright. The Cattle Sweep: The second round of the sweep is almost completed in the Northern Districts of Orange Walk and Corozal. Work in the central zone will begin on May 17th. Restructuring: BLPA is undergoing analysis to see how best to revise itself to better serve members. Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) is assisting in that task, and sent Dr. Carlos Pomareda, an experienced livestock consultant and rancher himself, from Costa Rica to Belize.
  • Pesticides Control Board Pesticide Imports Statistics April 2014: The Pesticides Control Board over the past years has been gathering data on the importation of pesticides in Belize. Since 2006, the focus has been on having the database reflect the quantities imported expressed in kilograms of Active Ingredient (kg of A.I.). The following is a report on the pesticides imported into Belize between 2010 to 2013. Figure 1 shows the total amount of pesticide imported between 2010 to 2013. This includes the following pesticide classifications: domestic, agricultural, industrial and public health use. There was a slight increase between 2010 to 2013 from seven hundred and thirty metric tons to one thousand and ninety three metric tons of Active Ingredients.
  • HOMEMADE HEALTH FERMENTED FOOD: The frequent use of antibiotics and antibacterial soaps results in a depleted supply of "good bacteria"in our gut which we need to effectively get nutrients from our food. We hear about probiotics and buy expensive tablets to counteract the effects of taking antibiotics. A healthier approach is fermented food; it helps to restore the proper balance of bacteria in the gastrointestinal system while being tasty and interesting and full of nutrition. Fermentation helps pre-digest food before we consume it. Foods that are difficult to digest are more easily broken down after fermentation. In some cases micro-nutrients are synthesized during the fermentation process. For example, cabbage that has been fermented has known cancer fighting compounds. These foods are rich in enzymes which are needed to digest, absorb, and utilize the nutrients in our food. They help us to absorb the nutrients we're consuming. Lacto-fermented food is easy and inexpensive to prepare; foods like sauerkraut and pickled cucumbers provide the same benefits as purchased probiotics. Fermentation is a good way to preserve foods, increase nutritional value and improve taste without spending a lot of money. There was a workshop on fermenting foods at the Caves Branch Jungle Lodge in January 2014. Instructors were expert artisan cheese makers from Vermont, Larry & Linda Faillace, who also periodically teach courses in cheese making at Caves Branch Jungle Lodge.
  • Spanish Lookout Commercial /Industrial Expo 2014: Most of the steady stream of traffic heading for Spanish Lookout on February 28 and March 1 must have been going to the Expo held there. The park and huge covered pavilion were teeming with people. Friday's crowd numbered 4,000, many of which were students; Saturday's crowd was 11,000, greater than the previous Expo held in 2012. People came from all over the country to view the displays and products of the 100 exhibitors, enjoy the wonderful food and fun on buggy rides, boat rides, tractor rides, ATV rides, trampolines and in the bounce house. The agricultural and commercial exhibitors were from all over the country. A big livestock exhibition was planned but ended up very limited because the dates of the Expo coincided with the country-wide Cattle Sweep program, in which cattle were being examined and certified to be free of disease. If you haven't attended Expo before, look forward to attending the next one in 2016.
  • Honey: Nutritional Facts and Medical Uses: Honey has been consumed by humans for over 10,000 years. It is the only food from insects that we eat. Honey is derived from the nectar of flowers, which is gathered by the female, or worker bee and stored in her honey sac for transportation to the hive. While obtaining the nectar, pollen from the flower is gathered on the two hind legs of the bee. During the course of the day, a bee may make as many as 25 trips gathering nectar and pollen, but will only visit one type of flower. This phenomenon is known as flower fidelity and is nature's way of not confusing the pollination issue. Upon her returns to the hive, she is greeted by guards who identify her as a member of the colony and allow her entrance. She then passes her partially digested nectar to another worker or deposits the nectar in an empty cell in the wax foundation. The pollen is deposited in a cell and softened with water to a paste. This pollen paste, a source of protein, is used for rearing the brood. The complex sugar (sucrose) is converted to simpler sugars (glucose and fructose) to which are added enzymes. Water, which in the beginning stage of honey is the dominate component, is evaporated by the bees fanning the honey with their wings. Less water content allows the product to better resist spoiling. Good honey contains only about 18% water or less.
  • : Local and Regional Fuel Prices
  • Agriculture Prices at a Glance- $$$$$: Find local and some international commodity prices on our Agriculture Prices at a Glance section.
  • Ag Briefs: New Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, (IICA) Country Representative to Belize, The Chocolate Festival of Belize, Russia already has GMO labeling required for all foods with greater than 0.9% GMO, and other GMO-related news.
  • Letters To THE EDITOR