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cultivation
. About half of this is used as pasture, with the rest going for
permanent and annual crops. With so much available land, the government
of Belize has made developing agriculture a
priority
. More than one-fifth of
Belize’s workers are agricultural workers.
Earlier in its history, Belizean farmers used a system called
milpa
—
clearing new land for crops or pasture as soils wore out (this practice was
also used in colonial America). In recent years the Department of
Agriculture in Belize has mounted a campaign to teach farmers how to
replenish the soil with fertilizer. More farmers are using tractors and other
mechanical means, too, to maximize the yield of their orchards and fields.
In Belize, rice, beans, and corn are grown as
subsistence
crops—that is,
foods grown primarily to be eaten by the local people. Agricultural exports
Belize
26
cultivation—
planting, growing, and harvesting crops or plants, or preparing land for
this purpose.
draft—
the depth of water a ship must have to float while loaded.
duty—
a tax on goods, especially imports and exports.
priority—
of first importance.
reforestation—
replanting trees in great numbers.
revenue—
sources of income, such as taxes, that a country receives into its treasury for
public use.
rural—
in the countryside.
subsistence—
necessary for life.
urban—
having to do with a city.
Words to Understand in this Chapter