By Zoila Palma: Total domestic exports amounted to $25.1 million in March 2026, representing an 18.7 percent decrease, or $5.8 million less, compared to $30.9 million recorded in March 2025, according to the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB).
The decline reflects reduced export performance across several major commodities during the period.
The most significant drop was recorded in red kidney beans, which fell by $2.1 million, from $3.0 million in March 2025 to $0.9 million in March 2026, driven by lower export volumes.
Formal cattle exports also recorded a complete decline, falling by $1.9 million as no shipments were reported in March 2026 compared to the previous year.
Citrus products decreased by $1.8 million to $1.5 million, largely due to reduced sales of orange concentrate, while sugar exports declined by $0.8 million to $3.5 million, reflecting both lower volumes and weaker market prices.
Despite the overall downturn, several commodities recorded gains.
Molasses showed the strongest growth, rising by $1.0 million to $1.0 million, supported by higher export volumes.
Animal feed exports increased by $0.7 million to $1.2 million, also driven by stronger shipments. Banana earnings edged up by $0.3 million to $8.5 million, reflecting modest volume growth, while marine products increased by $0.2 million to $4.2 million.
The rise in marine exports was linked to higher shipments of lobster meat and the return of shrimp exports in March 2026, after none were recorded in the same month last year. These gains, however, were not sufficient to offset broader declines in the export sector.
The post Exports decline as cattle, citrus and beans record sharp drops in March 2026 appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: Total domestic exports amounted to $25.1 million in March 2026, representing an 18.7 percent decrease, or $5.8 million less, compared to $30.9 million recorded in March 2025, according to the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB). The decline reflects reduced export performance across several major commodities during the period. The most significant drop
The post Exports decline as cattle, citrus and beans record sharp drops in March 2026 appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
