Agriculture - Greater Belize Media

Fusarium Fallout: Sugar Industry on the Brink

Fifty million dollars in losses, and that’s just the beginning. Belize’s sugar industry is facing a serious threat, and it’s coming from a fast-spreading plant fungus called fusarium. It crossed over from the north in 2024 and wasted no time, covering five miles in just five weeks. Now, not a single sugarcane field in northern Belize has been spared. So, what exactly is fusarium? How does it wreak havoc so quickly? And more importantly, what’s being done to stop it before the next crop is wiped out? News Five’s Paul Lopez breaks it all down in this week’s Five Point Breakdown.

(Where Did Fusarium Originate?)

It started just across the border in Chetumal, and now it’s taken over every sugarcane field in northern Belize. Researchers at the Sugar Industry Research and Development Institute, SIRDI, have traced the origins of the destructive fusarium fungus to neighboring Mexico. In just a few months, it spread like wildfire, carried by air, water, and even heavy machinery, wreaking havoc across Corozal and Orange Walk. The fungus attacks the plant’s roots, cutting off its access to water and nutrients, and forcing it to fight for survival.

Marvin Garcia, Extension Officer, SIRDI

“But since this fusarium is so aggressive, it cannot fight it. We need to the plant in this case.”

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Sugarcane is the economic lifeline in northern Belize and now this all-important plant is being wiped out by a deadly soil-borne fungus, fusarium. Today, we found out that of the tens of thousands of acres not a single one is fusarium free.

(How Fusarium Attacks)

Marvin Garcia

“Once the fusarium is in the roots, they concentrate themselves in blocking the xylem, responsible for transporting the water to the plants. Once that is blocked nothing can go up and they start to deteriorate the roots. Once that happens like what you are seeing, this is a plant that has seven leaves; two of them are healthy. The rest are already infected with the yellow coloration. The ones infected are not fully functioning doing photosensitize.”

(Policy Makers Declare Existential Crisis)

There’s growing concern in the sugar industry, and stakeholders are sounding the alarm. If the fusarium fungus continues to spread, the 2026 crop could see some of the lowest sugar yields in history. And the warning signs are already here. Just five days ago, this year’s sugar season came to an early and disappointing end, with Prime Minister John Briceño calling it the worst crop in recent memory. The industry’s projected loss this year is estimated at fifty million dollars. The prime minister declared the fusarium attack an existential crisis.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“We cannot and we will not allow, what happened to the sugar industry in the south to happen to our sugar cane farmers in the north.”

The Minister of Agriculture, Jose Mai says the worst may be ahead of us.

Jose Mai, Minister of Agriculture

“We expect that those fields showing mild chlorotic symptoms will produce very little cane this year coming. If we see a field showing one third chlorotic symptoms, by the end of this year the entire field will be covered.”

(Farmers Taking Home Less Income)

Farmers who rely on bank loans to grow sugarcane are feeling the pinch. With crops dying and yields dropping, many are struggling to cover basic needs like education and household expenses. On Monday, four sugar associations came together with a clear message: the industry is at a breaking point. They’re now calling for higher prices on molasses, local sugar, and electricity generation to help offset their growing losses.

Alfredo Ortega, Chairman, BSCFA

“As we speak right now, today is them, and this fusarium is spreading fast. So, if we don’t do anything right now, if we don’t get the assistance needed then we will end up with a sugar industry where we don’t have any production.”

Vladamir Puck, Chairman, CSCPA

“How will they service their fields, how will they feed their families? That is something this government should look after, how this year or how future years will be treated.”

(Trichoderma: The Hope of the Sugar Industry)

But all hope is not lost in the medium and long term. There is a silver lining in this dark cloud, Trichoderma is a fungus proven to be stronger, more aggressive and able to defend the sugarcane plant against fusarium. The experts at SIRDI are studying this defense mechanism, using four strains from different parts of the world, through confrontation tests.

Luis Gongora, Laboratory Officer, SIRDI

“As you can see from the plates, this white stuff is the fusarium affecting the sugarcane. And then the green stuff here is the Trichoderma fungus. As you can observe here it already engulfed the fusarium here.”

Paul Lopez

“How are these one performing?”

Luis Gongora

“Pretty good also. Here at the top is the fusarium and the green stuff here is the Trichoderma. It has reached to the point where the fusarium is. So the fusarium wont continue developing. And this other plate, the Trichoderma has already engulfed the fusarium and you cannot see it here. It means this strain is pretty good, aggressive.”

Marvin Garcia

“This is a very serious pest we have. It is going to really affect us. But after all I have this confidence that the roots are going to get clean over again and we are going to continue. We might be living along with this pest, but we will still be able to produce.”

The Government of Belize has already committed five hundred thousand dollars to a pilot project that will see this biological control applied to fields to combat fusarium. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

Sugar Industry Faces Delays Despite Progress, Says Minister Mai

So, while those confrontation tests are yielding positive results, Minister of Agriculture Jose Mai says the industry will likely have to wait an entire year to see vast improvements. That spells trouble for the next sugar crop, as biological threats to the industry multiply.

Jose Mai, Minister of Agriculture

“But we also hope to have positive results from what we are doing now. The cure for brining back the industry has to start now. We may not see results immediate this year, but next year we may start to see positive results. Right now we are only looking at controlling the fusarium fungus and we are now informed that it is not only fusarium. It is accompanied by other pathogens. Nematodes could be one of them, but we have sent samples for testing for nematodes. Fusarium is not working alone. It is a compliment. We know fusarium is one, stemborer is another one. We suspect nematodes but we have sent samples for testing. So yes the situation is serious.”

Fungus Threatens Sugarcane, Farmers’ Futures

It’s more than just numbers on a balance sheet; it’s the daily bread of hundreds of hardworking farmers. The sugarcane industry is staring down over fifty million dollars in losses, but for the men and women in the fields, the crisis is deeply personal. A silent threat, fusarium, a soil-borne fungus, is spreading fast, slashing yields and leaving farmers unable to repay loans or prepare for the next crop season. Tonight, we take a closer look at how this growing problem is threatening not just an industry, but livelihoods. Paul Lopez has the story.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

The sugar industry in northern Belize is in serious trouble—and now, it’s official. On Friday, Prime Minister John Briceño sounded the alarm, calling the situation an existential crisis. The culprit? Fusarium, a fast-spreading, soil-borne fungus that’s devastating cane fields and slashing yields.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“With a production of eight hundred and eighty thousand tons of cane producing seventy-eight thousand tons of sugar the industry is projected to earn one hundred and ten million dollars, mostly in foreign exchange, representing a significant reduction to fifty-three million from one hundred and fifty-six point five million dollars generated in 2024.”

A decrease in production and yield per ton of sugar means less money in the pockets of farmers. They are the backbone of the industry and now their livelihood is at stake. Chairman of the Corozal Sugar Producers Association, Vladamir Puck says the full extent of the impact has yet to be assessed.

Vladamir Puck, Chairman, CSCPA

“Right now we have some numbers, but I am more that sure that it is more than we expected.”

Paul Lopez

“It is the numbers that we heard the PM and the minister reference of Friday.”

Vladamir Puck

“Those are the numbers we are working with, but as a farmer looking at the fields at the ground level where we are, we know it is a little bit worst.”

It’s a troubling sight for anyone driving along the Phillip Goldson Highway, rows of sugarcane turning yellow, a silent signal that something is very wrong. That yellowing isn’t just a color change, it’s a warning. A fast-spreading, soil-borne fungus has taken hold, and it’s threatening to wipe out entire fields. The Chairman of the Belize Sugarcane Farmers Association, Alfredo Ortega, is sounding the alarm, warning that if urgent action isn’t taken, the industry could be headed for dark and difficult days.

Alfredo Ortega, Chairman, BSCFA

“If nothing is being done as we speak right now, then you will see a vast majority of farmers going out of production. That is why as leaders we are looking and seeing how we can get assistance so that reduce the amount. As we speak there are many cane field being totally damaged by this pest, especially the fusarium.”

Paul Lopez

“Could the sugar industry end up the same as the citrus industry down south?”

Alfredo Ortega

“It can happen, I think for many years we have taken the sugar industry for granted, and we only say time is going by. But now we are experiencing these issues, climate change, the pest, low yields, it is a real combination and we have to takethe bull by the horn and get the assistance we are seeking now.”

For that assistance, the farmers are turning to the government. Four sugarcane farmers associations met today at the SIRDI Headquarters to formulate a proposal to the Briceño administration. Their immediate concern is that the low yields per ton means less money in the farmer’s pocket. As a result, farmers will have a hard time leveraging their projected production with the commercial banks.

Vladamir Puck

“The cane farmers goes to their banks, as soon as they end their deliveries, during the crop. They request their document form the association and go to their banks to be refinanced. Right now farmers, the one that delivered fifty percent, we would like to know how the banks would treat them.”

Paul Lopez

“Because if they go the bank with those documents then they cant get the amount of money they would get before.”

Vladimir Puck

“That is right, and if they do so how will they service their fields and feed their families.”

Alfredo Ortega

“The yields on our field was low, so farmers will be able to clear off the debt they had before. So it will be very difficult for farmers to go back to the bank and refinance what they need to do the necessary husbandry at the field, but they need more to fight the pest that is there.”

The associations are seeking assistance from the Government of Belize to urge commercial banks to offer some relief to farmers in the short term. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

Sugarcane Farmers Trapped in Costly Credit Cycle

Imagine running a business where every year, you must take out a loan—at a whopping fourteen percent interest—just to keep things going. That’s the reality for many sugarcane farmers in Belize, according to Agriculture Minister Jose Mai. It’s a cycle that’s worked—until something disrupts production and throws everything off balance. On Friday, we sat down with Minister Mai to talk about the financial strain on farmers, and what happens when the system they rely on starts to crack.

Jose Mai, Minister of Agriculture

“The CRESAR project will also benefit the farmers. It is a grant program and loan program. DFC is a part of it. La Immaculada is a part of it. But DFC will have to play a very important role. Why, and I said this yesterday, the banks have no interest in helping everybody. The banks are here to make money. So if you have a disease or not, I want fourteen percent interest and that is what I charge. Can you imagine operating your cane fields with loans a fourteen percent interest and every year you go back to borrow on the same fields, it is just killing the industry. What have been discussed is moving of farmers to a bank that is more farmer friendly and interest friendly, because who can survive in this day and age producing food at fourteen percent interest, no one.”

Fusarium Wreaks Havoc on Sugarcane Fields

Belize’s sugar industry is facing one of its worst crises in recent memory. The season has come to a sudden and painful close, with record low yields and millions in losses. The culprit? A devastating fungal disease known as fusarium, which has infected over sixty thousand acres of sugarcane, and severely damaged another eighty thousand. The result? A projected thirty percent drop in production, a staggering fifty-three million dollars in losses, and a tough road ahead for farmers already bracing for a sharp cut in earnings. So, what’s next for one of Belize’s most vital industries? And can it recover before it’s too late?

Prime Minister John Briceño

“The effect of it all is that today the sugar crop has come to an end and it will be one of the worst sugar crops we have had in recent times. By this morning again the estimate is around eight hundred and eighty thousand tons of cane would have been delivered. What is even worse is that the tons of cane to produce one ton of sugar has been even worst. The current tons per of cane per ton of sugar is twelve tons of cane for one ton of sugar. When the cane is really good you are getting nine tons for one ton of sugar. So we are using two tons and a quarter more to make one ton of sugar. So, this is by far the worst we have had in production in recent history since 2011. BSI will produce just over seventy-eight tons of sugar. For context, this year the factory will produce seventy-nine thousand, ninety-seven thousand 3eight hundred tons less than what was produced last year and one hundred and fifty-four thousand tons less than what it produced in 2019. With a production of eight hundred and eighty thousand tons of cane producing seventy-eight thousand tons of sugar the industry is projected to earn one hundred and ten million dollars, mostly in foreign exchange, representing a significant reduction to fifty-three million from one hundred and fifty-six point five million dollars generated in 2024. Based on the current sugar price estimate farmers are expected to earn no more than sixty-five dollars per ton of cane this year. This represents a reduction of twenty-five dollars per ton when compared to ninety dollars and twenty-three cents per ton that was paid out last year. Our farmers will take home thirty-one million dollars less than it took home last year.”

Close To $3 Million Dollars to Adress Sugar Crisis

With sugarcane fields under threat from a fast-spreading disease, the government is stepping in with a five hundred-thousand-dollar pilot project to test treatments that show early signs of success. But that’s just the beginning. Backed by regional and international partners, nearly three million dollars has now been identified for an emergency response. Prime Minister John Briceño says it’s clear what needs to be done: prevent the north from suffering the same fate as the south. But with the clock ticking and farmers already feeling the pressure, will this be enough to turn things around before it’s too late?

Prime Minister John Briceño

“We cannot and we will not allow, what happened to the sugar industry in the south to happen to our sugar cane farmers in the north. If we are to be successful at this interministerial collaboration taking place it is will be important to do some of the following interventions, which we have to start implementation immediately. One, five hundred thousand dollars has already been identified by the ministry of agriculture which will be allocated immediately to a pilot project to start ridding these fields of the disease. Last November SIRDI moved quickly to identify a possible treatment option and earlier this year testing this technology on two farm plots. The results of this treatment looks promising. We also met with BSI/ASR and they have brought in their soil scientist where they have had a lot of success. They also have a treatment for this fungus. They will be working with us, it is a joint effort to see how we will halt this disease and cure some of the fields infected. With this hundred thousand dollars the plan is to replicate this treatment on a larger scale to treat the first two thousand five hundred acres.”

P.M. Briceño also revealed that Senior Economist Doctor Marcelino Avilla has been appointed to lead a sugar committee tasked with developing a plan to modernize the industry based on recommendations from the commission of inquiry report.

Raise Local Sugar Price to Combat Contrabandists?

With the sugar industry in crisis, many Belizeans are wondering if grocery store shelves will soon be empty. But according to Agriculture Minister Jose Mai, the real threat isn’t a lack of supply, it’s illegal exports. As Mexico faces its own sugar shortage, contrabandists are eyeing Belize’s cheaper, high-quality sugar. And that, says Minister Mai, could drain the local market. His proposed solution? Raise the local price to keep sugar at home.

Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture

“I think there is a drop in the production of sugar, I think it is seventy eight thousand tons from a hundred and ten thousand tons. That is a twenty-five thousand tons drop in production. But our local consumption is twelve thousand tons. So we have for local consumption. What I am uncertain of is how is Mexico coping with their local demand. Local have three markets, the world market and the U.S. market. But their price is three times higher than Belize. So if the price is three times there and our price is seventy-five cents, the contraband becomes rampant, uncontrollable. That is why oi am saying we need to increase our price to maintain our sugar here. And damned we will not import sugar from the U.S. this year. This is not something we encourage. It is not good for the country. We have a local consumption. It is not good for the people and we export the excess.”

Paul Lopez

“You are saying we will need to increase the local price of sugar, when will that happen?”

Jose Mai

“Well we have been looking at it for sometime. We are getting some push back. But I think it is fair the farmers get a fair price for sugar. We are working on a paper, I submitted one to Cabinet but we did not get approval for it. But we think it is necessary for farmers to get an increase on their sugar. It is important that it is justified and it is equitable.”

So, will it work or just make things harder for consumers already feeling the pinch?

Potato Glut in Cayo: Miscalculation or Market Pressure?

Farmers in Cayo District are sitting on mountains of unsold potatoes, hundreds of thousands of pounds, to be exact. They say contraband imports are flooding the market and undercutting their prices. But Agriculture Minister Jose Mai isn’t buying that explanation entirely. He says the real issue might be a risky strategy that backfired: farmers holding onto their crops, hoping to cash in when supply runs low. Now, with prices falling and storage costs rising, the question is—was this a case of market manipulation gone wrong, or are farmers being squeezed by forces beyond their control?

Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture

“Last week my chief agriculture officer and the director of extension met with these farmers from the five miles and seven miles in the Cayo district. At this point they are the only farmers with potatoes. But they have cold storage. I don’t agree with what they do, but I understand why they do it. These farmers store their potatoes and you sell at the end of the crop when nobody has, at a higher price. I think they did manage to balance it well. because you cannot force people to pay a high price. They met and said we have a contraband problem. Contraband has always been there. You have to manage it. Is it that much that you have to lose? BAHA, Supplies Control, Customs are out there and we have not seen much white potatoes on the market. We are telling them that we are controlling it. But storing your potatoes, holding it and raising it until the end of the crop at two dollars a pound is not cutting it for the consumer. The producer deserves the best, but the consumer also deserves the best in quality and price. I think that they missed calculated the time and we control the importation of this and how much is imported. They said hold down the importation until we could sell at two dollars a pound. Potatoes are selling in Orange Walk at one eighty, so when they met with my team we told them that you are selling at two dollars a pound when it is being sold for one eighty in Orange Walk. So the wholesale go to Orange Walk. They were selling at wholesale price at two dollars a pound. So a hundred pound sack was two hundred dollars. And so, I got a call this morning at one of them. I said, but its two dollars a pound and some of these people bought in Orange Walk and put it in a container and now selling at two dollars.”

PM Briceño: Sugar Industry Facing “Existential Crisis”

Prime Minister John Briceño told the nation this morning that “the sugar crop has come to an end, and it’ll be one of the worst sugar crops we’ve had in a long time.”

He said that the industry is experiencing an “existential crisis”, following the premature end of the 2024–2025 sugar cane harvest season and a devastating outbreak of a plant disease ravaging northern cane fields.

“I just received a short WhatsApp message from Marco Osorio, chairman of the Sugar Industry Control Board (SICB), informing me that cane deliveries have stopped, marking the end of the crop season,” the Prime Minister revealed.

“This has been one of the most, if not the most, challenging crop seasons in recent memory,” Briceño said, citing a combination of adverse weather, pest infestations, and most critically, the aggressive spread of Fusarium wilt disease, a fungal infection that has decimated cane fields across the northern districts.

According to the Prime Minister, a field assessment conducted last November by the Sugar Industry Research and Development Institute (SIRDI), the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), and the Ministry of Agriculture revealed that more than 60,000 acres of sugar cane were infected by Fusarium. Of these, 8,060 acres were severely infested, while approximately 35,500 acres showed mild infection. The findings projected an estimated 30% decline in total cane production, equivalent to a loss of 215,000 tonnes of cane.

“What was surprising to many, myself included, is that this fungus has actually been around for nearly 30 years,” Briceño explained. “But the combination of heavy rains followed by extreme drought created the perfect conditions for it to multiply rapidly.”

The PM also acknowledged that the impact is not limited to quantity but also affects quality. “There will be a significant reduction in yield per acre as well as a fall in the quality of cane harvested. This affects efficiencies both in the fields and at the BSI factory.”

Marco Osorio’s update highlighted a cascade of issues facing the industry this season: poor cane yields, challenging field conditions, a limited harvesting workforce, lower sugar output, and an unfavourable cane price estimate, all factors contributing to the poor performance of the crop.

“This is a very difficult time for the sugar industry,” Briceño stressed. “It requires all hands on deck- Government, farmers, and the miller, to join forces and develop a coordinated plan of action.”

Despite the bleak outlook, Briceño remains hopeful. “The resilience of our farmers is being tested, but together we will find and implement solutions to advance the industry, and we will succeed.”

Sugar Industry Suffers $53M Blow Amid Fusarium Crisis

Belize’s sugar industry is facing a bitter blow this season, as the impact of Fusarium disease proves far worse than expected. Agriculture Minister Jose Abelardo Mai says the numbers tell a troubling story, sugarcane production is down by over one hundred and forty thousand tons compared to last year, and the country may not even hit the nine-hundred-thousand-ton mark. To make matters worse, the price per ton has plummeted, dropping from eighty-seven dollars last year to just fifty-four dollars this season. That’s a twenty-five percent decrease, translating to a staggering fifty-three-million-dollar shortfall in revenue. With rains threatening to cut the crop season even shorter, the industry is bracing for a tough road ahead.

Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture

“It is worse than we expected. We monitor the reports of the production being delivered to the mill weekly and we look at what is in the field. Just for you to have an idea, in 2024, the production estimate was 1.19 million tons of sugarcane. Our estimate this year is 1.045 million tons. That’s a hundred and forty-five thousand tons less than what was estimated. But as deliveries continue, as deliveries continue, the cane delivered in 2024, last year, was 1.043 million tons. Round it off to a million tons delivered last year. So, this year, we said that we could estimate, based on the assessment of the field, nine hundred thousand tons. So that’s a hundred and forty-three thousand tons less than last year. As of six o’clock this morning, the amount of sugarcane milled was eight hundred and fifty-nine thousand, six hundred and twenty-five tons. So, we haven’t even reached the nine hundred-thousand-ton mark, and I don’t think that it may be easy to reach the nine hundred-thousand-ton mark. So, up to this morning, we’re at eight hundred and fifty-nine thousand. If the rains continue for another two days, I don’t think the crop will be able to continue. The estimate price per ton of cane was ninety dollars and twenty-three cents. So, we already see that that’s a drop of twenty-five dollars there for the price being paid. From eighty-seven dollars last year to fifty-four dollars this year, based on the last estimate. That’s a twenty-five percent drop in price per ton. So, in total revenue, last year one hundred and sixty-three million, five hundred and fifty-one thousand dollars was generated. Today, at nine hundred thousand tons which we will not reach, the total revenue is estimated at a hundred and ten million dollars. That’s a shortfall of fifty-three million dollars.”