Belize

Belize has a relatively small but established potato sector, with production concentrated in areas where the cooler part of the year provides more suitable conditions for tuber development. Potato is not one of the country’s dominant agricultural commodities sugarcane, citrus and bananas remain much more important, but it contributes to domestic vegetable supply and food security. Recent FAOSTAT-based data indicate that Belize produced about 1.40 thousand tonnes of potatoes in 2024, compared with a historical peak of approximately 1.58 thousand tonnes in 2019.

Cayo District has historically been the principal potato-growing region of Belize. Production has been reported around communities including San Antonio, Upper and Lower Barton Creek, Springfield, La Gracia and El Progreso, where farmers have traditionally grown potatoes during the cooler November–February period. Potato production has also extended into Corozal, Orange Walk and Stann Creek districts. In the 2017–18 season, an estimated 3.7 million pounds of potatoes were produced nationally, with approximately 2.8 million pounds coming from Cayo, followed by production in Corozal, Orange Walk and Stann Creek.

Belize's climate creates both opportunities and limitations for potato production. The country has a tropical climate with a distinct rainy season, while temperatures are generally much higher than the optimum conditions preferred by conventional temperate potato varieties. The cooler months, particularly from November through February, therefore, provide the most favorable production window in traditional potato growing areas. Climate change and increasing temperatures are important concerns because many varieties grown in Belize have traditionally been temperate types. Research and government supported initiatives have consequently focused on heat tolerant varieties, clean seed production and micropropagation technologies to make potato production more resilient and potentially extend production into additional areas and seasons.

Potato production in Belize developed primarily as a smallholder vegetable activity supplying the domestic market. By the early 2000s, agricultural research and development organizations working in Belize were supporting vegetable production and broader crop diversification. Over time, potato became an increasingly recognized opportunity for reducing dependence on imported potatoes and strengthening domestic food production. The country's agricultural sector has traditionally depended heavily on crops such as sugarcane, citrus and bananas, while vegetables and other crops have supported local food supply and diversification.

A major challenge in the development of the Belizean potato industry has been accessed to suitable, high-quality seed. Historically, annual requirements for clean potato seed tubers were imported from the United States, increasing production costs and creating a dependency on external planting material. In response, Belize developed initiatives involving the University of Belize's School of Agriculture at Central Farm and other agricultural institutions to produce climate-resilient potato planting material through micropropagation and clean-stock technologies. Earlier production records show considerable fluctuations: in 2016, Belize produced about 2.173 million pounds from 245 acres, while the 2013 crop reached about 2.231 million pounds from only 108 acres, demonstrating the potential for substantially higher productivity under favorable conditions. More recently, Belize's Ministry of Agriculture has continued identifying potatoes as an area for research, production and processing development.