Issue #40 - May 2018 of The BELIZE AG REPORT is online here!
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ICDF/TTM Improvement in Sheep
The cattle and poultry industries in Belize just had a boost: sheep. The Genetic Improvement in Sheep and Goat Project, which began in December, 2015, was to be a 3 year project but due to problems acquiring purebred Barbados Black Belly and Dorper sheep, the project has been extended to December, 2019. Now having acquired 45 local Dorper from breeder/farmer, Amando Carillo in Orange Walk and 29 Dorper and 16 Barbados Black Belly from the U.S., the breeding program began in earnest in the past month. The inauguration ceremony took place on 15 March 2018 at the site of the project at Central Farm with the background baaing of the 125 sheep that were currently housed there.

Carbon Farming
Carbon Farming�what is it? The organization Drawdown (www.drawdown.org) identifies some of the practices that small holders in Belize traditionally practiced as being excellent ways to drawdown carbon. In his book, Carbon Farming, Eric Toeinsmeier identifies some of these practices as "carbon farming". The use of trees, regenerative agriculture, food forests and tropical staple foods are ways farmers can repair damaged soils while reducing vulnerability to climate variability and obtain significant yields over time.

Hierba Mora
Hierba mora, Solanum nigrum (night shade), is a species in the Solanum genus that refers collectively to a wide-ranging group of plants, including poisonous, medicinal, and edible species such as three major crops of global importance: tomato, potato, and eggplant. Hierba mora is not native to Belize but has been in the Americas long enough that it is now naturalized. It is native to Eurasia and was introduced in the Americas, Australasia, and South Africa.

To the Editor
Dear Editors, I was completely unprepared for the swift destruction of rainforest and its rapid conversion to mile after mile of what will soon be irrigated sugarcane fields here in the Cayo district. Within a few short weeks the devastation was complete: GONE! Rainforest� GONE! Animal habitats� GONE! Birds� and as soon as the giant rolls of plastic tubing can be distributed around the fields, gallons and gallons of water from the Belize River will be GONE! The sugar industry will add some jobs to the economy of Belize. However, at what cost? Consider the loss to future generations of the biodiversity of Belize, the additional costs in healthcare due to heavy consumption of sugar and sugar sweetened products, and�

Belize National Citrus Conference
The 105 year old citrus industry had its first-ever national citrus conference held on 18 April 2018 at the host Belagro's Belmopan warehouse of the Big Creek Group of Companies. Belagro's Manager Wilbert Ramclam moderated the very successful event. The forum was attended by 100 or so participants, that included citrus growers, GOB officials, representatives of the processing company, and other stakeholders.

Coconut Water Standards
by Dottie Feucht. In issue 38 of the Belize Ag Report we included a report on the CARICOM regional standards for coconut oil. This is a summary of the standards for natural coconut water which is defined as undiluted, natural, untreated clear liquid endosperm of the coconut without additives. If you buy commercially prepared coconut water labeled Packaged Natural Coconut Water according to these standards you can be sure that the coconuts used were harvested seven to nine months after pollination; that no fallen coconuts were used; that the composition in terms of sugars, acids, fats and ash are within specified range; that the quality in terms of physiochemical and microbiological limits is met; that it is free of contaminants�

Beyond the Backyard
The Humblest of Roots by Jenny Wildman. I have eaten many a root vegetable in soup, stews, boil up, mashed, fried and every which way, some more flavorful than others. In this category I would include beets, carrots, parsnips, salsify, potatoes, yams, turnips, swedes, manglewurzels, taro, cassava and coco yams. Although we may include bulbs, corms, rhizomes and root stems, the true definition of a root vegetable is a taproot or tuberous root. Most of these are considered by many to be the staple foods of the poor not fit for much else than livestock. The humblest of these is the turnip. They grow all over the world but having never seen any in Belize, I was pleasantly surprised to�

Caribbean Food Crops Society to Meet in Belize
The Caribbean Food Crops Society (CFCS) will celebrate its 54th Annual Meeting from July 8 to 13, 2018 at the Ramada Princess Hotel and Casino in Belize City. The theme of this year's meeting is "Multi-functionality of Agriculture in the Caribbean Basin in Countries with Predominant Tourist Industries". Hosting the annual meeting of CFCS in Belize was brought about by a January 2018 meeting between Dr. Wilfredo Colon, Chair and CEO of the CFCS and the Honorable Godwin Hulse and his staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, the Environment, Sustainable Development and Immigration. The weeklong annual meeting will consist of keynote speeches, scientific presentations, technical sessions, farmers' forums, field trips, and social and cultural activities.

Jackfruit
by Marquito Stanko. With fruits weighing from 10 pounds to over 70 pounds growing from its trunk and lower branches, this tree begs for a second look and in more ways than one! Not only is the jackfruit an amazing fruit to behold, it's also a highly versatile, resilient and nutritious tree crop that is suitable for growing in many areas of Belize. Jackfruit is known scientifically as Artocarpus heterophyllus. There are many common names like jakfruit, jak, jaca, chakka, nangka, langka, khanun, khnor, mak mi and jaqueira to name quite a few. It is in the Moraceae family along with breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis), champedak (Artocarpus integer), mulberry (Morus sp.), and fig (Ficus sp.). Native to India, Malaysia and other�

Our Vanishing Wetlands
Roughly half of the world's wetlands are lost, mostly occurring within the past 150 years. Making up only 1.5% of the Earth's surface, wetlands provide about 40% of global ecosystem services. Recent Google Earth© images and drone flights over the Belize River valley reveal very high wetland losses from agriculture, mostly occurring within the past 30 years. We are losing wetlands so rapidly around the world and in Belize because most people do not know what wetlands are, considering them wastelands rather than valuable ecosystems critical to our survival.

2018 National Agriculture & Trade Show
Belize's National Agriculture & Trade Show (NATS) officially opened in Belmopan on Friday 27th April, 2018 under the theme "Let's Get Growing". The Governor General, Sir Colville N. Young, inspected the BDF Guard of Honor, followed by the welcoming address by The Mayor of Belmopan, Mr. Khalid Belisle. Guest speaker Mrs. Sandra Bedran, Managing Director of the Atlantic Bank Ltd., spoke about the many opportunities in agriculture, including many servicing our tourism industry. Keynote speaker Honourable Godwin Hulse, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, The Environment, Sustainable Development and Immigration, discussed the improvements in the show, including many infrastructure improvements of buildings and gardens, creating a more functional venue not only for the NATS but for other events throughout the year. �

Spanish Lookout Expo
Every other year Spanish Lookout hosts its Expo at Countryside Park with an increasing number of attendees, exhibitors and activities. Held this year on March 2nd and 3rd, the Expo drew 17,500 attendees from all over the country, a 10% increase over Expo 2016. The well-organized parking accommodated the increased number of buses of school students, attendees and exhibitor vehicles.

Industrial Hemp Production in Belize
On Tuesday, 13th March 2018 Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, The Environment, Sustainable Development and Immigration (MAFFESDI), the Attorney General's office, Caribbean Agriculture Research & Development Institute (CARDI), Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE) and other GOB concerned parties invited stakeholders to join them in a packed NATS Conference Room for a full day of presentations and discussions about the potential of an industrial hemp industry for Belize.

Albrecht's Soil Fertility Work
by Neal Kinsey. Some fifty years ago, when first becoming acquainted with Dr. William Albrecht and his work, and perhaps even far longer than that, it was felt by many in agricultural education (but Dr. Albrecht was not one of them) that those doing the farming were not smart enough to understand the basic "science" of agriculture. If that were ever true, such times are far gone based on what farmers need to know and understand to farm in this day and age. Now there seems to be a much different push to discourage farmers from learning the basics of soil fertility. The claim is that farmers don't have enough time to learn all the facts for themselves. Teach them�

Homemade Health
In a quest to detoxify home and body, I discovered a remedy for fleas and ticks for animals that was non-toxic, and, it turns out, even beneficial for humans: diatomaceous earth (DE); it is basically fossilized aquatic algae that has been compressed over millions of years and now can be found at various mines around the world and in fresh and salt-water. Food-grade DE comes from freshwater deposits. It is the purest kind and is safe for human consumption in small amounts. Like all good things, it must be taken with care and understanding.

Regeneration International Works with Belizeans
RI Works with Belizeans to Scale Up Regenerative Agriculture Early in June 2015, about 60 people-farmers, scientists, activists, media, business leaders-representing 21 countries convened in Costa Rica to launch Regeneration International (RI), a new nonprofit organization with a global mission: to promote and facilitate the global transition to regenerative agriculture and land-use practices and systems that provide abundant, nutritious food; revitalize local economies; regenerate soil fertility and water-retention capacity; nurture biodiversity; promote social justice and fair trade; and restore climate stability. In 2015 the word "regeneration," in the context of food and farming, was relatively new. So in the early days RI focused heavily on education and movement-building-but always with an eye toward igniting an on-the-ground regenerative agriculture revolution. What�

From Cane to Cattle Pastures�
Froghoppers Identify New Habitat by Beth Roberson. Sugar cane, Sacharum officinarum, is a member of the Poaceae or grass family; froghoppers, Aeneolamia varia and Aneolaomia albofaceata have been recognized as a notable pest for Belizean cane farmers since the first severe infestation in cane of 2007. Cattle ranchers were advised in the 90's to improve their pastures with monocultures of imported grass varieties which are known for their higher nutrition profile, drought resistance and other positive features. Froghoppers gradually recognized these improved pastures (fellow Poaceae) as very suitable habitat for themselves and expanded their turf. According to the report made at the March 2017 BLPA AGM, by meteorologist Fermin Blanco, froghoppers are spreading thru Central America; weather services hope to�

BLPA's 40th Annual AGM
On 24 March the BLPA held its 40th Annual General Meeting at their headquarters with members attending from all 6 districts. After welcoming protocol and remarks, several speakers updated members with exciting happenings within the industry.

The Other Cowfoot
by Deborah Harder. The "cowfoot soup", popular among Belizeans, is not made from this herb, but from the actual feet of cows. The herb is named for its resemblance to a cow's hoof print and is a useful native plant. It grows wild and is found all over Belize. Look around your land for a plant with large leaves (up to 16 inches by 12 inches or more) that smells like anise and has a white spike at the base of the leaf during its blossom time. All you have to do is let it stand. However, young plants can also be transplanted in desired locations. It is often very prolific. Tea made from the leaves is reminiscent of sassafras�

Turmeric / Yellow Ginger
A New Export Crop for Belize by Umeeda Swiltlo Turmeric (Curcuma longa), also known as yellow ginger or golden root, was brought to Belize by Indian indentured servants when they came to southern and northern Belize districts. It is an essential spice used in many Indian foods. The traditional way of using it in Belize was to grind it with a mortar and pestle, add salt, black pepper, garlic, ginger and culantro and make it into round balls. When cooking a curry, people fried onions, added tomatoes and some of the premade turmeric ball. People would also wash, then boil the freshly harvested turmeric root and dry it in the sun followed by the tedious process of mortaring to make�

Limes of Belize
by Mary Susan Loan Lime is citrus genus of the family Rutaceae. Common species growing in Belize include Tahitian or Persian (Citrus latifolia), key lime (Citrus aurantifolia) and Rangpur or Jamaica lime (Citrus limonata). Belizean open-air market places are the best places to find favorites: (1) classic Tahitian and Persian green limes with pale green interior and with few-to-no seeds which grow to be from about one and a half to two and a half inch ovoid fruits, (2) smaller paler key limes and (3) the variety known as Jamaican limes: juicy, seedy, and sour with orange skin and orange interior. Jamaicas can be used as a substitute when green limes are not available. All are tart, juicy and aromatic�

A Book Review: Tuning Into Nature
This book, subtitled, "Infrared Radiation and the Insect Communication System", might seem a bit of a handful at first glance. Full and complete understanding of its contents may come only with a degree in physics and perhaps degrees in electronics and biology thrown in. That said this is a very interesting read even for the lesser mortals amongst us, and even gives the reader a couple of surprises along the way. The latter, I would submit, is a sign of a useful and important book.

Ag Briefs
UBCF - The University of Belize College of Agriculture will host a 4-day Soil Fertility Course� Caribbean Food Crops SocietyThe Caribbean Food Crop Society (CFCS) will hold its 54th Annual Meeting� Regeneration International and Regeneration Belize present Transforming Tropical Agriculture: Conference for All Belizean Farmers� The 2018 ACRES USA Eco-Ag Conference & Trade Show is scheduled for December 4th -7th, in Louisville, Kentucky. Richard and Sandra McLeish recognized opportunity when they realized Jamaica's 5th most produced crop, pumpkins, were also very much under-utilized. The General Court of the European Union upheld "restrictions introduced at the EU level in 2013 against the insecticides�" Vanilla prices: Madagascar provides 79% of the world's vanilla. Shortages there have a wide ripple� The Ministry of National Development's Rural Water Supply Unit hosted a Well Drillers' Workshop� BIOCHAR: Commercial chicken farms produce an impressive amount of poultry litter� Substitutables: The Directorate General for Foreign Trade reports that the seasonality of locally produced fruits and vegetables is reflected in the import data of agricultural products. And much more�

Agriculture Prices At A Glance

Ag Calendar