In recent years the production and export of fresh hot peppers to the United States has become an established commercial activity in Belize. A large amount of pepper is also being processed into a variety of pepper sauce. In addition to fresh fruit and pepper sauce, ground dried hot pepper is also exported.

There is a Working Committee for hot pepper. CARDI is represented in the committee for providing technical assistance, training and advice to producers and extension agents. Producers, Marketers, Processors, Researchers, Extension Agents, Creditors and Policy Makers are represented on the committee. CARDI assisted in developing training manuals and also in conducting on-farm research trials. CARDI provided assistance in analyzing the research data.

In the production of hot peppers, especially for the fresh fruit market, the quality of the fruit is the main concern and local producers have experienced some declines in marketable yields, which have been partly attributed to shortages of affordable, good quality seed. The pepper sauce and dried pepper industries also expressed the need for quality hot pepper seed of adapted cultivars for fresh fruit export and other specific end uses. In 1999, the FAO funded project [TCP/BZE/8821(A)], Technical Assistance to Promote Hot Pepper Seed Production in Belize was initiated as a joint project with MAFC to assess the feasibility of producing hot pepper seed in Belize. In 1999 Mr. Neville McAndrew served as TCDC Consultant along with FAO's Team Leader of the project and National Coordinator from MAFC. During the year the plan of work for the project was prepared. CARDI was requested to assist in providing germplasm from CARDI Barbados and conducting Preliminary varietal evaluation, seed extraction, drying, packaging and storage.