Cool shade

Cayo District, Belize

US$6,000,000

4,616.85 acre with producing citrus farm

The Cool Shade Farm sits approximately 3.5 miles from Georgeville/George Price Highway along the Chiquibul Road or Mountain Pine Ridge Road; some 8 miles from the Twin Towns of Santa Elena and San Ignacio, and 18 miles from the capital city of Belmopan. Set in the immediate vicinity, there are several well-known tourist lodges such as, Gaia River Lodge and Biancaneaux Lodge, as well as the Barton Creek Reserve and the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve.

The farm comprises of 6 parcels totaling 4,616.85 acres with many structures and facilities for staff, farmers, and equipment. The producing crop covers an area of 1,638 acres with 89% being citrus and is generating an average 160 boxes per acre annually, and the remaining 11% generating 548 boxes of grapefruit per acre annually.

Structures found on the property include; wooden security booths at entrances, managers office, steel frame equipment garage, fuel containers, inventory warehouses, chemical rooms, power generator house, and several manager and farmers residences (concrete and wooden).

TOTAL 4,616.85 acres

  • Block A - 1,000 acres

  • Block B - 1,000 acres

  • Block C - 1,000 acres

  • Block D - 1,000 acres

  • Block E - 428.61 acres

  • Block F - 188.24 acres


The remaining acreage offers diverse opportunities with heavy forest covered areas and the presence of valuable timber for extraction at a sustainable replanting and preserving basis, utilizing of the gentler hillside for cattle rearing and/or small farming, subdivision to lesser acreage for resale as neighboring communities continue to show steady growth, and finally, entering another fast-developing industry of Belize; Tourism. Cool Shade Farm lies immediately north of several protected areas in Cayo, Stann Creek, and Toledo Districts which mean tourist accessibility to plenty inland adventures. Underutilized hill terrains offering more scenic and attractive environments make perfect sites for high-end accommodations for visitors to enjoy pristine nature. 

“Geology, Soil and Vegetation...”

Geology

  1. The Cayo Floodplain (Agricultural Value 1) has 664.685 acres which is 15.23% of the area

  2. Belmopan Plain (Agricultural Value 2) is estimated as having some 1,445.233 acres or 33% of total acreage.

  3. Xpicilha Hills with Plains (Agricultural Values 3, 4 and 5) consists of some 2,255.654 acres or 51.67% of the total acreage.

The base matter of the Cayo Floodplain is granite whereas for the Belmopan Plain and the Xpicilha Hills with Plains it is limestone

Soil

  1. proportion of the 664.685 acres (14.4%) classified as Grade 1 land has high to very high income potential.

  2. The 1,445.233 acres (31.3%) of Grade 2 land are seen as having good chances for financial success.

  3. Chances for financial success for the 428.263 (9.28%) acres of Grade 3 land are moderate with the probability subject to skilled management

  4. 1,144.238 acres of Grade 4 (24.78%) are marginal with skilled management and high inputs.

  5. The 683.155 acres (14.80%) of Grade 5 land have extremely small chances for financial success

Vegetation

  • The natural vegetation within the Cayo Foothills (CF) is high broadleaf forest and in the Xpicilha Hills Plains it is high broadleaf forest often with many quamwood and cohunes.

Temperatures

  • Temperatures in this section of the Chiquibul Road which is near the Central Farm weather station have an annual Average Maximum 88.3°F 31.3°C Average Minimum 68.9°F 20.5°C

Rainfall

  • The Mean Yearly Rainfall from 1951 – 2013 was 1680.4 – 1766.4 mm in these foothills.