When you see grapes selling on the street, you know it's Christmas because after all, grapes are an indulgence, a premium import from cooler climes, something that's just too dear to have year round.
By the time the Christmas trees have come down, Belizeans will have spent as much as a $250,000 on the precious grapes.
But thanks to trail blazing work in agronomy, next year we may be able to keep some of that money at home - because the Taiwanese Community has found a way of growing the fruit at home. That's right, grapes grown in Belize. This weekend Alfonso Noble traveled to St. Matthews village to have a first hand look and taste grapes with the Belizean trademark.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
It may not be exactly the size of vineyards in France or California but for Belize, the Formosa vineyard will do. This $180,000 plot of grape trees is representative of the potential Belize has to produce grapes. For the past 2 years Benjamin Lin and his father have dedicated countless hours to bring these grapevines to fruition. Now the product of their labour is evident.
Benjamin Lin,
"We have done a lot of work. We have to work on the farm everyday especially when its blossoming then we have to cut it cause we don't want it to bear a lot because it will be smaller so we cut it."
But while they do their best to obtain excellent results it is not always easy to cultivate a crop that grows best in temperate areas. Chief of the Taiwanese mission in Belize Juen Yi Chen says that growing grapes in tropical conditions has its difficulties.
Juen Yi Chen,
"Grape is suitable for temporal condition and in a tropical condition like Belize you have to have some temperature adjustments to make it grow and prosper. You may need shade to prevent excessive sunlight, sun treatment might needed during flowering, and also need to prevent disease and pests."
But two years into the battle with the elements Lin is looking at the first crop, which for now looks very promising.
Juen Yi Chen,
"The grapes are doing excellent, in terms of its age and since the first time it came out so I think when the grape trees become older the quality and quantity will be improved."
"The quality, has some room to improve but I think as time progresses it will improve."
And that possibility of improvement has Lin looking at a grape crop that will span 4 months a year, adding one more export commodity with the Belizean stamp on it. For the Ministry of Agriculture the possibility of producing grapes is more than just welcomed.
"This is something we have promoting for sometime in the Ministry but we just weren't able to get people to do it because they didn't have the right technique or technology. But as we saw here with Mr. Lin if you apply the right technique and technology you can get the right quality grape. There is still some work to get down but as time I think it will improve."
And if those efforts are followed through and adopted by agriculturalists, within a few years the grapes put at the table on Christmas time may well be Belizean grown.
Right now, Formosa is concentrating on selling the grapes in Belmopan and as the crop expands so will the market.