Enhancing Agriculture’s
Contribution to the Caribbean
Economy through Value Addition –
Learning from a Belizean Example By
Professor Clement K. Sankat
President
University of Belize
Belmopan, Belize
and
Professor Emeritus (UWI)
Food and Agricultural Engineering
For
2019 Caribbean Food Crops Society
(CFCS) Meeting
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
July 7-12, 2019
Marie Sharp
Belize’s Agriculture at a Glance
Belize is a small, 8, 867 square miles, country in Central America, south of Mexico and East of Guatemala. It has a long coastline stretching 240 miles facing the Caribbean Sea, and just offshore is the Belize Barrier Reef, the largest in the Western Hemisphere, with 450 small islands known as Cayes!
Belize has a population of 380, 000 with one of the lowest population densities in Central America. Of a total of 155, 950 formally employed persons, 23, 565 or 15.2% are engaged in Agriculture, Forestry and Finishing but it has been reported that Agriculture provides 70% of informal employment in rural areas.
The World Bank estimates that Agriculture is the most important economic sector in Belize in term of income generator, employment, food security and poverty alleviation.
https://www.belizehub.com/belize/
Belize’s Agriculture at a
Glance
Crop production, livestock farming, fishing and the manufacturing of food products
and beverages contributed BZE $258 mil, $94 mil, $38 mil and $211 million
respectively, or 12.6% of GDP at basic, current prices!
Sugar ($113 mil), Banana ($74 mil), Orange Concentrate ($58 mil), whole marine
products (fish, lobster, shrimp, conch) ($42 mil), Red kidney beans ($9 mil), Black
eye peas ($4 mil), Molasses ($6.5 mil), Grapefruit Concentrate ($4 mil), Papaya ($1
mil), with a total value of BZE $311 Mil, were the principal agricultural/marine
exports in 2018.
Some other processed food exports included pepper sauce ($4, 613), Orange Squash
($813), Grapefruit Squash ($121), Orange Oil ($6, 756), Grapefruit oil ($1,662),
Animal Feed ($15, 012), Corn meal ( $2, 098), all in BZE$ Thousands
The above sectors contribute some 75% of Belize’s exports.
Data obtained from Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB), Belize, 2019.
Belizean Agriculture
Corn Rice Banana
Sugar Beef
Beans
Beans
Belize’s Agriculture at a Glance
The value of domestic production directed to the local market was estimated
at BZE $615 mil in 2013, with the country being self-sufficient in poultry,
eggs, beef, pork, beans, rice and corn, with some exports also to the
CARICOM and SICA regions.
When one examines the main food imports they include soybean meal
($11.3), Shrimp feed ($10.6), seeds ($11.7), shortening ($4.8), processed
cheese ($4.7), soybean oil ($4.6), salted meat ($2.7), Wheat flour ($2.6),
Corn ($2.6), Milk ($2.3) etc. Food and beverage imports are of the order of
$234 – all values in BZE $mil.
Factories and Processing Plants
Santander Sugar Factory ASR Sugar Factory, Orange Walk
Rice Mill Banana Packing House
Source: SIB and Central Bank of Belize, 2017 Annual Report and Statement of Accounts.
There is a dearth of information/published research on the agro
processing sector of Belize which can be still be described to be in a
state of infancy. There are more than a hundred very small scale
processors – the majority operating from their kitchens producing a
range of products from local agricultural produce. Much needs to be
done to support this sector. There are however, three processors who
can be described as large; one in meat processing (Running W), one in
dairy processing (Western Dairies), and one in food processing (Marie
Sharp Fine Foods), the latter being the oldest and most recognized
locally in Belize and Internationally.
Here is Marie Sharp’s success story and what can we learn from this in
developing our own agro industrial sectors.
Lessons from the Marie Sharp experience in Belize
so as to stimulate innovation
and entrepreneurship
through agro processing in
our small Caribbean
countries
An abundant supply of red habanero pepper grown
initially on her 400 acre Melinda Estate and a potential
domestic market through retailers (supermarket &
groceries)
A differentiated product - pepper sauce that was full
bodied, made from farm to bottle with organic
vegetables: crisp carrots, juicy red Habanero peppers,
sweet yellow onions, white garlic cloves, lime juice and
natural vinegar as opposed to a very liquid pepper sauce
imported into Belize and made especially from vinegar,
pepper and salt.
Differentiated Product
Prior experience in a food processing industry. Although
not formally trained in food science or technology having
worked in an administrative capacity in the Citrus
Processing Industry (CPBL), she was exposed to
bookkeeping, marketing, sales etc. but importantly
curious enough to spend time in the Quality Laboratory at
CPBL and gather knowledge and information on the “why
and how” associated with aspects of food processing.
As her enterprise grew, Marie Sharp received at intervals
of time short training on food preservation, marketing
etc, much achieved overseas through developmental
assistance.
At the outset pursued her ideas with vigor and
determination developed in her kitchen and at night (as
was still working full time in the citrus industry).
Experimented and produced six of her differentiated
pepper sauce, seeking technical support in terms of shelf
life and quality of products.
Being innovative and creative, not only in product
development, but in packaging, labelling etc. getting
professional help from overseas. (She attributed her own
creativity to the genes from her father!)
Showed a clear progression for scaling up her operations, from her
simple kitchen with stove top and pots, to a 30’ x 40’ small processing
area then to a modern, well conceptualised, mechanically equipped
and with receiving, storage, aseptic processing, packaging and
labelling, warehousing and shipping facilities.
The availability of finance when critically needed as when she lost her
“MELINDA” brand and had to restart as “MARIE SHARP” – (the commercial
bank – Barclays of Barbados) and then again when capital funding needed for
new factory (The Social Security Board, SSB of Belize, a State enterprise).
A steady focus on QUALITY and SHELF LIFE of Marie Sharp Products. An
installed laboratory staffed by trained Food Technologist and Chemist, with a
daily routine of product inspection, sampling, testing and evaluation.
Invested significantly in meeting Food Safety and Quality Standards
beginning with HACCP, with the support of an overseas consultant funded by
an EU/ACP programme. This was followed by FDA inspection, approval and
registration and then by auditing and certification by the International
Featured Standard (IFS Food), Europe with the latter being an investment of
over $1Million BZE.
IFS Certification
Maintains quality and traceability in
the supply chain with farms
registered, inspected and certified by
the Ministry of Agriculture in Belize,
the Belize Agricultural Health
Authority (BAHA), and by an
independent overseas lab for a
produce free of chemicals.
Received support from the
Government of Belize. Her facility in
Hope Creek Village, Stann Creek is
registered as an Export Processing
Zone – receiving tax/duty exemptions
for inputs of production, many of which
are imported from neighbouring states,
and exports of product to all countries.
Products supplied to the local market
are taxed as normal.
A clear, very positive link
between the tourism
industry of Belize and the
marketability of the Marie
Sharp products
internationally. Further
global market penetration
achieved by investing in
attendance/participation in
trade shows in many
countries.
Product innovation through imitation/benchmarking and then
advancement through an acute ability at critical thinking and
problem solving. Produced a green pepper sauce from Cactus/Nopal,
also known in Belize as Skajineel (Opuntia Cacti).
Driven not only for financial gain, autonomy and a competitive
determined nature but by a strong social desire to help her rural,
poor community, especially women, so as to empower them by
becoming employed, and thus educate their children to give them a
better future.
Protected her Intellectual
Property/Trademark around
the world as she learnt from
the bitter loss of her original
brand “Melinda” through
unscrupulous buyers.
These are clearly lessons for us to learn on how we can support our food processing sectors to grow and create wealth for our communities and countries, adding value to our traditional agriculture. Tangible support for innovators and entrepreneurs with appropriate training and exposure, R&D, laboratory and testing capabilities for quality assurance, support for certification and IP protection, marketing efforts and of course financial assistance for building capacity are necessary ingredients for success - at least to give our small processors a start. Through such dedicated support we can industrialize our agriculture as Marie Sharp has demonstrated especially in some of our Caribbean countries with an abundance of agricultural possibilities like Belize for example. This will certainly facilitate new entrants into this sector, creating employment, wealth, stability and sustainability especially in our rural communities.
A Concluding Statement
Marie Sharp
embraced by all of
Belize.
Thank you Marie
for all your
support, Professor
Sankat.
Thank You
Media Credits
I would like to acknowledge Marie Sharp for her video.
Corn field https://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2018/08/02/drought-causes-millions-losses-to-central-american-corn-crop-belizean-corn-farmers-feeling-the-pinch/
Rice http://agreport.bz/thiessen-liquid-fertilizers-rice-trials/
Banana http://agreport.bz/beyondthebackyard022/
Sugarcane http://agreport.bz/simis/
Peas http://agreport.bz/beyondthebackyard017/
Santander Sugar Factory: https://www.sanpedrosun.com/business-and-economy/2018/06/03/santander-sugar-factory-accused-selling-sugar-without-permit-within-belize/
ASR Sugar Factory https://ambergriscaye.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/515997/molasses-meltdown-at-asr-bsi.html
Rice Mill http://agreport.bz/abitofhistory/
Cactus https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/nopales.html