Chamaedorea (Xaté) in the Greater Maya Mountains and the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, Belize: An Economic Assessment of a Non-Timber Forest Product

Abstract

Of the twelve species ofChamaedorea palm recorded for Belize, three are of international economic value because their cut leaves (xate) are traded in the floricultural industry. Traditionally, Belize has not harvested xate, the industry being based in Mexico and Guatemala. However, a decline in wild xate stocks in these countries means Guatemalan leaf harvesters now illegally harvest xate in Belize. To assess the local abundance of the BelizeanChamaedorea resource, its economic value, and the extent to which it has been illegally harvested, 209 plots measuring 20 meters (m) by 20 m were established in the Greater Maya Mountains (GMM) in western Belize, which includes the Chiquibul Forest Reserve (CFR). We estimate that 37.8 million leaves with a value of U.S. $0.3 million to xateros have been extracted from the CFR. The standing export value is calculated as U.S. $1.8 million for the CFR and U.S. $5 million for the GMM.