Belize is exploring the possibility of growing Wambugu apples, with Agriculture Minister Rodwell Ferguson pointing to research underway in Jamaica as a potential guide for expanding production across the Caribbean.
Ferguson visited the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) in Portland on October 1 to inspect the fruit and assess its suitability for cultivation in Belize.
He said growing apples in tropical conditions could create new opportunities for a region that traditionally imports the fruit from countries such as the United States and Canada.
Research at CASE could help CARICOM countries diversify agricultural production and strengthen food security, the minister noted.
Ferguson was accompanied by Latoya Panton, managing director of Summit Apple Orchards, home of My Jamaican Food Forest. The company imports and distributes Wambugu apple plants from Kenya to Jamaica and other Caribbean islands.
Panton said farmers and backyard gardeners have successfully grown and harvested the fruit in Jamaica. Her next goal is to encourage more farmers to participate and expand production to commercial levels that could support exports.
“My aim, when I first started bringing these apples in, was to see [them] being grown across the Caribbean,” she said.
Ferguson was in Jamaica for Caribbean Week of Agriculture 2026, held in Trelawny from September 27 to October 2.
He said the event reinforced the need for regional cooperation to increase food production. He also urged Caribbean countries to invest in processing and other forms of value-added production to earn more from agricultural goods.
The minister indicated that his ministry is prepared to support efforts to trial the apple in Belize.
Ferguson also called for greater investment in agricultural research, arguing that innovation could help the Caribbean improve food self-sufficiency and expand exports.
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