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SFA 2003 – Marketing Study for Belize Bananas

Belize

EC Delegation of Jamaica

Ministry of Agriculture in Belize

More than 80% of Belize total export earnings come from four commodities: marine products, sugar, citrus and bananas. The banana industry is one of the major sources of export earning and is the primary employer in the south. There are presently 2,500 hectares of bananas planted in the industry. The interests of the banana growers in Belize are represented through a membership based association called the Banana Growers Association (BGA) of Belize. After substantial declines in 2001 and 2002, due to the debilitating impact that Hurricane Iris had on the industry in October 2001, the banana industry rebounded with a record production of 80,484 metric tons in 2004. However, during this same period, Belize has experienced substantial price declines in its banana industry. Since the year 2000, banana prices to the growers in Belize have fallen by almost 30%. To further exacerbate an already concerning situation, the level of market protection of ACP countries has been challenged by third countries and all the farms in Belize must now find ways to increase their production per acre and improve the quality of their bananas, while at the same time decrease production costs per box. The overall objectives of the consultancy will be to contribute to improve the competitiveness of the banana industry in Belize. The specific objective of this technical assistance is to determine where Belize may have a competitive advantage in the banana trade and to identify new markets for Belize’s banana production which will ensure the long term viability of the industry.

Start date: 2006-07-01

End date: 2006-08-31