3.5 Belize Food and Additional Suppliers
Natural disasters have contributed to a reduction in agricultural production and exports and to short-term increases in food imports. The aggregate impact from Tropical Storm Roxanne in 1995 and Hurricane Keith in 2000 in Northern Belize, together with Tropical Storm Chantal and Hurricane Iris in 2001 in Southern Belize, resulted in more than US$ 200 million in losses and damages to the agriculture sector alone. These natural disasters caused short-term shortages of domestic commodities such as rice, corn and beans, and contributed to reduced exports of shrimp, lobster, papayas and bananas in the corresponding years. Damage to agriculture and fisheries infrastructure contributed significantly to the resulting shortfalls in production.
Generic country information can be located from sources which are regularly maintained and reflect current facts and figures. For a general overview of country data related to the service and supply sectors, please consult to following source: The Observatory of Economic Complexity–MIT (OEC)
For more information, please visit the following sites:
3.5.1 Belize Food Suppliers
Overview
Food availability is not a problem in Belize, but large numbers of households living in poverty are prone to food insecurity, due to a lack of access to food because purchasing economic capacity is not possible. It is estimated that more than 25% of Belizean households live in poverty.
Belize has a high degree of dependence on imported goods that supply the population with 60% of its food. The country imports most of its cereal (21 849 t/year in 1998–2000), although as a proportion of total imports it decreased from 22% in 1964-66 to 9% in 1998-2000. Imports of animal fat as a percentage of total DES decreased steadily, while vegetable oil imports increased after 1989–91. Meat and offals imports decreased slightly. The import of milk and milk products peaked in 1979-81 (16% of total DES) but decreased to 6% of total DES in 1998-2000 (FAOSTAT, 2003).
For more information on food supplier contact details, please see the following link: 4.10 Belize Supplier Contact List
Retail Sector
In Belize City large food suppliers are easy to find, in the rest of the country inefficient distribution chains and high transport costs may result in scarcity of imported products.
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Types of Retailers Available |
|
|---|---|
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Type of Retailer |
Rank 1-5, where 1 is the most commonly used by the population and 5 is the least |
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Supermarket – concentrates mainly in supplying a range of food, beverage, cleaning and sanitation products; have significant purchasing power; are often part of national/regional/global chains. |
1 |
|
Convenience Store/Mini Market – medium sized shop; offers a more limited range of products than supermarkets; usually has good/stable purchasing power; may be part of chain or cooperative. |
2 |
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Permanent shop with strong supply capacity – individually/family owned store; usually offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; good storage and reliable supply options. |
2 |
|
Permanent shop with limited supply capacity – individually/family owned store; offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; limited storage and unstable supply options. |
5 |
|
Mobile Shop/Market Stand – individually/family owned store; usually offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; may be found at outdoor markets, camps or unstable environments. |
5 |
Wholesale - Madisco
Madisco has a 22,000 sq. ft. storage facility warehouse in Belize City, which also includes 654 sq. ft. of cooler/freezer capacity. Madisco also owns a fleet of vehicles for distribution along the country.
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Supplier Overview |
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|---|---|
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Company Name |
Madisco |
|
Address |
1894 Clerghorn Street, Belize City, Belize |
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Does the supplier have its own production / manufacturing capacity? |
Yes
|
|
Does the supplier have its own retail capacity? |
Yes |
| Does the supplier have its own transport capacity? | Yes |
| Does the supplier have its own storage facilities? | Yes |
|
Approximate Turnover in MT |
300/month |
|
Payment Methods Accepted |
Cash, Credit Cards, Checks |
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Other Comments or Key Information |
|
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Other Locations |
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|---|---|
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Region(s) |
Service Location(s) |
|
Central Coastal Belize |
Belize City |
|
Primary Goods / Commodities Available |
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|---|---|
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Commodities by
Type** |
Comments |
|
00 - Live animals (other than fish, crustaceans, molluscs, etc.) |
Locally sourced and imported |
|
01 - Meat and meat preparations |
Imported |
|
02 - Dairy products and birds’ eggs |
Locally sourced and imported |
|
03 - Fish (not marine mammals), crustaceans, molluscs… |
Locally sourced and imported |
|
04 - Cereals and cereal preparations |
Imported |
|
05 - Vegetables and fruit |
Locally sourced and imported |
|
06 - Sugars, sugar preparations and honey |
Locally sourced and imported |
|
07 - Coffee, tea, cocoa, spices and manufactures thereof |
Locally sourced and imported |
|
09 - Miscellaneous edible products and preparations |
Imported |
|
41 - Animal oils and fats |
Imported |
|
42/43 - Fixed vegetable fats and oils, crude, refined or fractionated |
Imported |
**For FUEL/PETROLEUM products please see section 3.1 Fuel.
Disclaimer: Inclusion of company information in the LCA does not imply any business relationship between the supplier and WFP / Logistics Cluster, and is used solely as a determinant of services, and capacities.
Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.