Belize's Pesticide Registrations:Corn Claims the Top Spot

Belize, situated on the northeastern coast of Central America, enjoys a subtropical climate characterized by distinct dry and rainy seasons. The dry season spans from late February to May, while the rainy season extends from June to November, with a brief dry spell from August to September. This unique geographic location and climatic conditions create abundant opportunities for agricultural development.

Agriculture remains the cornerstone of Belize’s economy, though it directly involves only about 20% of the population. Farmland occupies roughly one-third of the country’s land area, with the majority of farms being small-scale operations relying on traditional shifting cultivation practices, well-suited to the nutrient-poor lowland soils. In contrast, larger plantations are dedicated to producing key export crops such as sugarcane, citrus fruits, and bananas.

Sugarcane cultivation is concentrated around Corozal and Orange Walk, where it is processed into sugar and molasses—key ingredients for rum production—and exported to the United States and the European Union. Citrus crops and bananas thrive in the Stann Creek and Cayo districts, located south and west of Belize City. In recent years, the growing production of non-traditional agricultural products such as papaya and habanero peppers has added new dynamism to the economy.

Forests cover approximately 60% of Belize’s land area and host a diverse range of tree species, including mahogany, Santa Maria, and cedar. The country’s northern deciduous forests and southern evergreen forests exhibit distinct ecological characteristics. While this ecological diversity offers unique resources for agricultural production, it also underscores the importance of stringent environmental protection measures.

Beyond agriculture, Belize has seen rapid growth in its tourism sector, along with notable developments in offshore finance, fisheries, and light industry. However, its limited industrial base makes the country heavily reliant on imports, which include machinery, industrial goods, food, and medicines, contributing to a persistent trade deficit. Belize’s primary export commodities include sugar, bananas, fruits, timber, and seafood, with major trading partners such as the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Mexico, and Canada.

Agriculture continues to serve as a vital pillar of Belize’s economy and a key bridge to the international market. Within this framework, understanding Belize’s pesticide registration system becomes especially significant. In the following discussion, we will examine Belize’s pesticide registration landscape to provide a more comprehensive analysis of its agricultural development and its integration with global trade.

Currently, Belize has issued 529 pesticide registration certificates across 74 companies. Among these, 495 certificates (93.57%) are for conventional chemical pesticide products, while 34 certificates (6.43%) are for biological pesticide products.

Data source:Belize Pesticide Control Board

Data time: December 20, 2024

From a corporate perspective, the top 10 companies dominate 55% of the market. This group includes several prominent multinational corporations, such as BASF, Bayer, and Adama. Leading the market is Agro Insumos SAS, a Colombian company, with 60 registered products, accounting for 11.34% of the total.

Notably, while Corteva has one registered product, it does not rank among the top 10, and Syngenta does not appear to have any product registrations in Belize. The list of registered companies also includes renowned Chinese enterprises, such as Binnong, Rainbow, and Pilarquim, showcasing their presence in the market.

Data source:Belize Pesticide Control Board

Data time: December 20, 2024

Among the 2,853 registered pesticide products, the top 10 dosage forms are:Capsule Suspension、Granular、Impregnated Tree Bags、Suspo-Emulsion、Granular Bait、Oil Dispersion、Suspension Concentrate For Seed Treatment、Aerosol Dispenser、Wettable Powder、Water Dispersible Granule、Suspension Concentrate、Emulsifiable Concentrate and Soluble Concentrate.

Notably, Soluble Concentrate account for 139 products (26.28%), Emulsifiable Concentrate for 98 products (18.53%), and Suspension Concentrate for 92 products (17.39%). These three dosage forms individually represent more than 10% of the total, highlighting their dominant market presence. Collectively, the top 10 dosage forms account for 88.85% of all registered products, reflecting their significant market share.

Data source:Belize Pesticide Control Board

Data time: December 20, 2024

Analyzing the classification of pesticide products reveals that traditional fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides dominate the market, collectively holding 450 registration certificates. Among these, insecticides rank first with 159 registrations, accounting for 33.84%, followed by herbicides with 135 registrations (30.06%) and fungicides with 112 registrations (21.17%). Together, these three conventional chemical pesticide categories account for over 85% of the total, underscoring the continued dominance of traditional pesticide products in the market.

Data source:Belize Pesticide Control Board

Data time: December 20, 2024

The top 10 active ingredients in herbicides account for 113 registered products, representing 21.36% of the total.

Among these, 2,4-D ranks first with 21 registered products (3.97%), followed by Glyphosate in second place with 17 products (3.21%) and Paraquat in third with 12 products (2.27%). Diuron comes fourth with 11 products (2.08%), while Atrazine is fifth with 10 products (1.89%).

Picloram and Pendimethalin share sixth place, each with 9 products (1.70%). Nicosulfuron ranks seventh with 8 products (1.51%), Fomesafen is eighth with 6 products (1.13%), and Metsulfuron-methyl and Ametryn are tied for ninth with 5 products each (0.95%).

Data source:Belize Pesticide Control Board

Data time: December 20, 2024

The top 10 active ingredients in fungicides collectively account for 82 registered products, representing 15.50% of the total.

Mancozeb leads the list with 21 products (3.97%), followed by Azoxystrobin in second place with 14 products (2.65%), and Difenoconazole in third with 9 products (1.70%).

Tebuconazole and Metalaxyl-M share fourth place, each with 7 products (1.32%), while Fludioxonil and Chlorothalonil rank fifth, each with 6 products (1.13%).

Finally, Epoxiconazole, Pyraclostrobin, and Pyrimethanil are tied for sixth place, with 4 products each (0.76%).

Data source:Belize Pesticide Control Board

Data time: December 20, 2024

The top 10 active ingredients in pesticides account for 99 registered products, representing 18.71% of the total.

Cypermethrin ranks first with 15 registered products (2.84%), followed by Imidacloprid in second place with 14 products (2.65%) and Lambda-cyhalothrin in third with 11 products (2.08%).

Bifenthrin comes fourth with 10 products (1.89%), while Thiamethoxam and Emamectin Benzoate share fifth place with 9 products each (1.70%). Abamectin is close behind in sixth place, also with 7 products (1.32%).

Finally, Priproxyfen, Lufenuron, DEET, and D-allethrin are tied for seventh place, each with 6 products (1.13%).

Data source:Belize Pesticide Control Board

Data time: December 20, 2024

The top 10 crops in product registration account for a total of 1,224 registered products.

Corn(Zea Mays) ranks first with 164 products, representing 31.00% of the total, followed by Banana (Musa sapientum) in second place with 158 products (29.87%) and Tomato (Solanum lyvopersicum) in third with 140 products (26.47%).

Rice (Oryza sativa) ranks fourth with 136 products (25.71%), while Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is fifth with 129 products (24.39%).

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) are sixth, with 125 products (23.63%), and Plantain (Musa paradisiaca) come seventh, with 101 products (19.09%).

Melon (Cucumis melo) are eighth, with 94 products (17.77%), followed by Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) in ninth place with 91 products (17.20%), and Citric (Citrus spp.) ranks tenth with 86 products (16.26%).

Data source:Belize Pesticide Control Board

Data time: December 20, 2024