Crops Grown in Belize: Bananas, Sugar, Citrus, Corn, Beans, Rice — Plus Diversity

Belize's agriculture spans export commodities and subsistence staples across distinct agro-ecological zones.

Major Export Crops

• Bananas: Stann Creek & Toledo. ~90K tonnes/yr. Exports: UK, EU, US. Big Creek port. BGA (Banana Growers Association) coordinates.
• Sugar Cane: Orange Walk & Corozal (North). ~1.2M tonnes cane → ~120K tonnes sugar. ASR/BSI mill (Tower Hill). EU/US quota markets. Bagasse → electricity.
• Citrus: Stann Creek & Cayo. Oranges, grapefruit, limes. ~200K tonnes fruit. Concentrate (orange/grapefruit) exported. CPBL (Citrus Products of Belize Ltd) processes.

Staple Food Crops

• Corn (Maize): Nationwide. Milpa system (slash-and-burn) + mechanized. White/yellow varieties. Tortillas, tamales, animal feed.
• Beans (Red Kidney, Black): Intercropped with corn. Protein staple. ~5K tonnes.
• Rice: Orange Walk, Corozal, Belize River Valley. ~15K tonnes. Mennonite mechanized farms dominate. Local consumption + CARICOM export.

Vegetables & Diversification

• Tomatoes, sweet peppers, onions, cabbage, carrots — Mennonite communities (Spanish Lookout, Blue Creek) + smallholders.
• Hot peppers (habanero, scotch bonnet) — export niche (Marie Sharp's).
• Papaya, pineapple, watermelon — seasonal.
• Cacao (Toledo) — fine flavor, bean-to-bar chocolate (Maya Mountain, Ixcacao).
• Coconut — coastal, water + copra.

Emerging / Niche

• Soybean, sorghum (Mennonite, large-scale).
• Industrial hemp (pilot, 2022+).
• Agroforestry: Inga alley cropping, breadfruit, soursop.

Belize ag: North = sugar/citrus/mechanized. South = bananas/cacao/smallholder. Staple corridor central. Climate resilience now driving diversification.