The Healthy Business of Coconut Water
Coconut water, it’s the latest craze in the local beverage industry. Referred to as Mother Nature’s Gatorade, coconut water contains a variety of nutrients that provide a number of health benefits. And in Belize, the market for coconut water is growing rapidly. Street side vendors have found that selling coconut water is a profitable venture. So, more and more locations are popping up, including Belize City, where the country’s largest population is concentrated. In tonight’s episode of Belize On Reel, News Five’s Paul Lopez takes a closer look at the families benefitting from the sale of coconut water in the Old Capital and the nutritional value that the product promises. Here is that report.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Vendors of coconut water are taking hold of the local beverage market,with a growing demand for healthier alternatives to sodas and sugary juices. Coconut water is also the chaser of choice many Belizeans. It is near impossible to travel within a mile’s radius within the Old Capital and not come across one of these street side locations where coconut water is freshly served. Manuel Mejia has been selling his product from the back of a pickup truck for the past five years. His coconut water has been a staple here along the Phillip Goldson Highway for the past two years.
Manuel Mejia
Manuel Mejia, Vendor
“Dah something weh we started and three ah we the do this. My sister, my bra-lee, we get fih like it and we sell good. Most of the time, only when ih rain or cold, but majority of the time business good.”
Paul Lopez
“What do you think it is about coconut water that people like and demand so much?”
Manuel Mejia
“Lot of purpose, the water good for the health and your kidney and them things. That’s why people buy it and them things deh. That is why people buy it. Sometimes we sell like a two three hundred. Before, we never had lot of people, we use to sell five hundred, six hundred coconut. But, now like how dah wah lot ah we, so the business slow down ah lee bit, but, before I use to sell a truck load.”
At the price of two dollars for a sixteen ounce bottle and fifteen dollars per gallon, the hard labor that comes with cutting and bottling coconuts all day yields a decent profit. But, Mejia is right; the market has grown over the years. Each year, more vendors are popping up across the city. Brenda Sosa has been in the business for the past ten years. With her daily sales here along the George Price Highway, she is able to provide for her family.
Brenda Sosa
Brenda Sosa, Coconut Water Vendor
“That is good for lot, for hydration, people come buy it lot for medicine. Because, it is something natural, people like to buy it. It has nothing like sugar.”
Paul Lopez
“And how much coconut you would sell per day?”
Brenda Sosa
“It depends, because not every day is good. Sometimes like weekend it’s good. But during the week I nuh sell like that. Saturday and Sunday we sell most. But, during the week we sell like half a truck.”
Paul Lopez
“Is it enough to provide for your family?”
Brenda Sosa
“Yes, it helps us a lot, because we nuh work fih nobody, just for me and my common-law husband and I have three kids.”
To get a sense of just how much coconuts are sold across Belize City weekly, we visited B Mart on Juliet Soberanis Street. Through their Cotton Tree Agro Produce farm, B Mart supplies a large portion of coconuts per week to vendors like Manuel and Brenda. And, their supply is only a percentage of what is sold weekly throughout Belize City.
Leopoldo Rosado
Leopoldo Rosado, Marketing Manager, B Mart
“We saw that there was a need in Belize to get, natural, organic and locally grown produce. So, we do citrus, kale, bell peppers, and we are testing the market with a bunch of different items. But, coconut is one that we do have here at B Mart. So, currently our production is twice a week. We get a thousand per delivery. So, it is about two thousand coconuts per week. But if there is a supplier or somebody out there who needs more than that, come in. You can give us and order and we will make sure to facilitate your order.”
Throughout our conversations with B Mart, Manuel and Brenda, a common theme has been the health benefits of this refreshing drink. Studies show that coconut water is a good source of several nutrients; it may also help to lower blood pressure. It supports heart health and can even help to prevent kidney stones. We turned to an expert in health, Doctor Fernando Cuellar, to tell us more about these nutritional benefits.
Dr. Fernando Cuellar
Dr. Fernando Cuellar, Internist, Belize Medical Associates
“Research, medicine and science has shown that there is much benefits coming from it. For example, one for the biggest one is it has electrolytes in it. That is things like sodium, potassium, magnesium. That is one of the things for example the sports drinks benefits are advertised about. You drink x and y sports drink yowah get these things. But, you get it naturally through the coconut water. It has antioxidants, proteins, some basic amino acids. It is low calorie which is a big thing for the people weh the work out and they nuh the put back a whole lot of calories. And, I would recommend that people drink it providing that it is prepared adequately and healthy. If notice, all over the city and country you find it at street sides, but that is where the public health people come in to make sure they are properly prepared and ih nuh full ah contaminants and dust the get pan it and that kind of thing.”
The Government of Belize has taken note of this growing industry. Kareem Musa, the Minister of New Growth Industries, says the sale of coconut water has become a country wide phenomenon and a very profitable one at that.
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Minister of New Growth Industries
“I think those are thriving businesses. You can go along Coney Drive or the Northern highway and you will come across so many. I would even want to say too many. But, clearly there is a market there for it and I would say very lucrative. It is a very good industry and so again that is a country wide phenomenon where you are seeing more and more people selling coconut and coconut water. Obviously it is very healthy as well. It has a lot of health components. So, that is something definitely something we are impressed by and recognize.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
