Cashew Festival in Belize

Why is Cashew so famous in Belize? Cashew in Belize is famous for its color attraction and its sweet, Iron, tarter taste. The fruit is protected in a thick leathery shell filled with small pockets of oil. The Crooked Tree villager's makes the fruit flourish naturally, that creates large organic of fruits. The fruit is famous because it can either be eaten, make wine, or make roasted nuts.

 First the seeds are roasted in metal pots the bottoms of which are punctured to allow for the highly caustic cashew nut oil to drain. After a few minutes of stirring and avoiding the irritating fumes, the nuts are removed from the fire and left to cool. Each is then cracked individually before it can be baked. After 30 minutes in the oven, the nuts are left to cool for the second time before being shelled and bagged for sale.

Cashew wine is made locally in Belize from fermented cashew fruit, not the nut. These wine is made homemade and the variety and taste of this tradition liqueur in Belize is made with a sweet strong taste. The main attraction to find the cashew wine in Belize are found at  Burrel Boom and Crooked Tree in the Belize District and a local winery company BelMer Wines. 

The Cashew Festival is held every May of each year. It is a Festival where locals in the village or around the country participate to showcase their product such as sweet stewed cashews, cashew fudge, cashew cake,  cashew jam, cashew wine and more. Their will also be local hand-crafts for sale, wood work and much more. This event is growing every year as the annual festival in crooked take's place. Cashew Festival in Crooked Tree Village, Belize is scheduled for May 16th, 17th and 18th. 

What makes this village famous is the tradition they have.  Bird watch is famous for this place and the friendly people that will offer help in the village. 

Lime Shortage in Belize; Squeezing the Lime

North of Belize in the local Corozal fruit market is observed now for 3 limes to one dollar. Several weeks ago the same lime was for one dollar for each lime. Definitely the effects of the rise in the price eventually will flow down to the consumer. 

The reason why the shortage of Lime is not available much in Belize is the cause of the citrus greening which created a limited shortage in every district where the jumping lice feed on the tree. The Asian Citrus psyllid insect is to be blamed for the shortage in Belize. 

Psyllid- this insect is a feeding insect that tend to be very host-specific. For example, each plant-louse species only feeds on one plant species (monophagous) or feeds on a few closely related plants (oligophagous) and especially on lime which is responsible for the greening disease.

It May take up to two years to improve the citrus greening disease in the disruption of the lime market in  Belize. Experts stated to the Belize media. 

On the long term wait for the lime in Belize, lime is imported from Mexico which they will have more impact to lime squeeze in the country. For Mexican lime theirs a demand at a high price and caused the price to gouge in Mexico.

 Last month many farmers have been growing lime for the past twelve months and had never gone through a time of disturbance, CNN sources.

The national monthly average is jumping to 50% this year, where lime prices in Mexico are constantly inflation. 
In the State of Morelos, a number of farmers in that country are receiving even a wider capacity for produce. Many changeable have been pin pointed for increase in prices.

The reason at this time remains as the greening disease and the cold weather that harmed the trees in some nearby states.

 In the state of Michoacan top lime producers, farmers are continuing to strike violently because growers won’t and can’t drive trucks on the road. As Mexico is the known for the largest lime producer and export markets they also are feeling the rise on costs 

With 19 location around the world U.S. based “Rosa Mexicano” is a high-end chain. They stated that the average cost last year per box was $36 USD and last month they got arise payment as much as $110 USD for the same box.

Evidently, it’s the consumer in the end of the day that will fill these increased prices as they noted. Officials in the Ministry of agriculture in Mexico realized the shortage and will present a new way to by boosting the production. The lime tree’s branches will be cut off and apply nitrogen for fast flowering. In October the flowering should be produce in the months February, March and April.