Farming Without Chemicals? New $180K Bio Push Targets Sugar Crisis

Belize’s sugar industry is turning to science over chemicals as pressure mounts from disease and climate stress.

This week, the Climate Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture Project (CRESAP) delivered the first batch of biological agents to the Sugar Industry Research and Development Institute (SIRDI), aimed at helping farmers combat crop disease and improve yields.

In a government-issued statement, it said the initiative is part of a broader strategy to protect one of Belize’s most important industries. “This delivery represents the first of six batches of biological agents to be provided under the project.”

The agents, including Trichoderma harzianum, Bacillus subtilis, and Streptomyces lydicus, will be used to manage the fungal Fusarium disease.

“Through their growth-regulating properties, these biological agents are expected to enhance root development, improve overall plant health, and reduce the effects of disease,” the statement added.

The initial batch is valued at more than US $181,000 and forms part of a US $25 million programme funded by the World Bank.