Sunday, August 26, 2012

BELIZE SOYBEAN CROP TOO SMALL FOR LOCAL NEEDS

LOCAL SUPPLY OF SOYBEANS INSUFFICIENT TO MEET LOCAL NEEDS IN BELIZE.

About 2000 acres are planted in Belize of soybeans.  They are tricky, because they suffer from rainy weather.  Soybeans are usually planted after the corn is harvested, as they are a dry season crop.  Soybeans are used to produce oil through an extruder, for additives to animal feeds. We currently only produce 5% of the soybean oil needed in Belize.  Transportation shipping to Belize from Brazil is too expensive, so the feed mills in Belize have resorted to buying used grease from kitchens and restaurants.  The Soybean crop has to fit into the dry season, about 4 months.  If the season varies and it does, then a farmer could lose his crop.  A soybean crop is impractical in most of Belize, except in the Corozal District, but cane farmers are reluctant to diversify into a second crop of soybeans.  They are doing well enough with sugar cane.  The driest part of Belize is the Corozal District.  Rainfall gets heavier the further SOUTH you go in the country.



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