By Zoila Palma: The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and New Growth Industries is today hosting a Wheat Field Day in Central Farm, Cayo, marking the first major national push to expand wheat production in Belize.
Minister of Agriculture Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of State Alex Balona, former Minister of Agriculture Jose Abelardo Mai, and Senior Advisor Hugh O’Brien are participating in the event, highlighting government’s renewed commitment to strengthening the country’s grain sector.
The initiative builds on more than a decade of small-scale wheat cultivation by Mennonite farmers in Lower Barton Creek, Cayo. Farmers in Springfield are also preparing to begin planting.
While production has remained limited and largely for household consumption, growers have continued despite plant diseases and limited access to adequate processing machinery.
Field visits by the Agronomy Department confirmed that wheat cultivation is primarily concentrated in Springfield and Lower Barton Creek in Cayo, as well as Indian Creek in Orange Walk District. Although not traditionally considered a priority crop, farmers see wheat as a practical way to reduce household food costs and promote self-sufficiency.
Government’s renewed interest comes amid a sharp rise in wheat imports.
In 2023, Belize imported approximately US $1.46 million worth of wheat, including nearly 2.9 million kilograms of wheat flour valued at US $1.218 million. By 2024, imports of raw wheat and meslin surged to about 17,500 metric tons between January and September, valued at US $7.81 million. Between 2020 and 2024, the country imported an estimated 45 to 50 million pounds of wheat and an additional 7 to 8 million pounds of wheat flour annually, spending just under BZ $30 million each year.
In response, the Agronomy Department established the country’s first wheat demonstration plot on December 30, 2024, at the Research, Development, and Innovation Center in Central Farm, using local seed from Lower Barton Creek.
Harvested in mid-April 2025, results confirmed Belize’s agroclimatic potential to produce high-quality wheat.
Additionally, research trials were introduced in collaboration with the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in Mexico, and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation.
Preliminary findings suggest wheat can be successfully grown under Belizean conditions, and the Government has pledged continued investment in variety trials, modern agricultural technologies, and farmer training to support long-term, sustainable wheat production.
The post For First Time, Belize moves to expand Wheat production with National field day in Central Farm appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and New Growth Industries is today hosting a Wheat Field Day in Central Farm, Cayo, marking the first major national push to expand wheat production in Belize. Minister of Agriculture Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of State Alex Balona, former Minister of Agriculture Jose Abelardo Mai, and Senior
The post For First Time, Belize moves to expand Wheat production with National field day in Central Farm appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.