Sirdi

What Sirdi does

SIRDI (Sugar Industry Research and Development Institute) is a Belize-based non-governmental organization established under the Sugar Industry Act of 2001 and operationalized in 2009, mandated as the technical support arm of Belize's sugar industry. It serves over 5,000 registered cane farmers concentrated in the northern sugar belt (Corozal and Orange Walk districts), where approximately 65,000 acres of sugarcane are planted and around 850,000 tons of cane are produced annually — an industry that contributes an average of 7.8% of Belize's GDP. SIRDI's stated objective is to raise average yields from 18 to 25 tons per acre and lift total production toward 1.5–1.8 million tons.

SIRDI's service portfolio spans six interconnected capabilities: (1) a tractor and land-preparation service line delivering subsoiling, plowing, harrowing, furrowing, fertilizer and herbicide application at published Belize-dollar rates; (2) a Clean Seed Program producing disease-free planting material; (3) an Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM) laboratory that isolates, characterizes, and multiplies the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae for biological control of froghopper and stem borer pests; (4) the Sugar Industry Management Information System (SIMIS), a GIS-based platform built with SPOT-6 satellite imagery that digitizes 19,228 cane field polygons (76,631 acres), maintains a farmer ID database, and tracks deliveries from harvest to mill; (5) automated weather stations configured with WWF that upload humidity, precipitation, temperature, radiation, and wind data every 15 minutes; and (6) the Farmer Field School (FFS) program, a 2-year, 9-to-12-module curriculum that has graduated five cohorts, most recently 234 farmers, alongside 179 high-school students from 3 schools.

SIRDI's revenue is project-based and donor-dependent rather than market-based. Funders include the European Union (which financed the 2014 headquarters), the Government of Belize, the Inter-American Development Bank / Multilateral Investment Fund (which underwrites the FFS program), and The Hershey Company (under the Hershey Learn to Grow initiative), supplemented by fee-based tractor services. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: extension officers serve 6 geographic zones, deliver field days, on-farm demonstrations, and hands-on training directly to farmers. The institute coordinates with the industry's principal stakeholders — Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association (BSCFA), Belize Sugar Industries / American Sugar Refinery (BSI/ASR, operator of the Tower Hill factory), Sugar Cane Production Committee (SCPC), and Sugar Industry Control Board (SICB). SIRDI is governed as a membership-based institute with no parent company, no equity investors, and no publicly disclosed revenue or headcount figures.

Name

Sirdi

Legal name

Sugar Industry Research and Development Institute

Website

https://sirdi.bz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SIRDI (Sugar Industry Research and Development Institute) is a Belize-based NGO that delivers agricultural research, extension, and field services to over 5,000 sugarcane farmers in the northern sugar belt, including tractor services, clean seed production, biological pest control, weather monitoring, and the SIMIS industry data platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research and Extension Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Sugarcane Farming (11193), Sugarcane Farming (111930), Farm Management Services (115116)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Sugarcane Farming (AFAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Farm Management & Decision Support Software (FMIS, ERP, Recordkeeping) (AFAGALAA), Sugar & Starch Crop Seed Cane/Seed Stock Production (AFAGAEAK), Monitoring, Survival Surveys & Carbon/MRV Services (Remote Sensing, Field Audits) (AFAMACAO)

Keywords

• Sugarcane research institute
• Biological pest control
• Agricultural extension services
• Farmer field schools
• Land preparation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Corozal

HQ country

Belize

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government and EU Funding: SIRDI is established under the Sugar Industry Act of 2001 and receives funding from the Government of Belize and European Union for research, development, and technology transfer programs. The institute was created to serve as the technical support arm of Belize's Sugar Industry.
2. External Project Funding: SIRDI receives project-based funding from international organizations including Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)/Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) and The Hershey Company for specific programs like the Farmer Field School and Creating a Sustainable Sugarcane Industry project.
3. Tractor and Equipment Services: SIRDI provides fee-based tractor services including land preparation (subsoiling, plowing, harrowing, furrowing), fertilizer application, herbicide application, and bush hogging services to cane farmers at established rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SIRDI conducts sugarcane research, runs farmer extension and training programs, and delivers field services for Belize's sugar industry. Its offerings include tractor and land preparation services, a clean seed multiplication program, biological pest control through an IPDM laboratory producing Metarhizium anisopliae, a Farmer Field School training curriculum, automated weather monitoring, and the Sugar Industry Management Information System (SIMIS) platform covering ~76,631 acres of digitized cane fields.

Product overview

SIRDI (Sugar Industry Research and Development Institute) is a research and development organization serving Belize's sugarcane industry. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected services: Tractor Services for mechanized land preparation; the Clean Seed Program for producing disease-free planting material; the Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM) Laboratory for biological pest control using Metarhizium anisopliae; the Sugar Industry Management Information System (SIMIS) platform for data management across the industry; the Farmer Field School Program for agricultural training; and Weather Monitoring Systems. Together, these services support improved productivity, sustainability, and competitiveness of Belize's sugarcane sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Farmer Field School (FFS): Agricultural training program for sugar cane farmers focusing on best practices and sustainable production methods.
• SIMIS
• IPDM

Products and services

• Tractor and Land Preparation Services Fee-based mechanized tractor services for sugarcane farmers, including minimum tillage, subsoiling, plowing, harrowing, furrowing, covering, cultivation, bush hogging, fertilizer application, herbicide application, and trash lining, priced per pass/acre in Belize Dollars.
• Clean Seed Program Production and distribution of high-quality, disease and pest-free seed cane for commercial sugarcane planting, using a multiplication system that meets standards for final commercial seed quality to improve sugarcane productivity.
• Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM) Laboratory — Metarhizium anisopliae Biological pest control offering in which SIRDI's IPDM laboratory collects, isolates, characterizes, and multiplies the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae and distributes it to sugarcane farmers as a biological pesticide against froghopper and stem borer infestation, reducing reliance on chemical controls.
• Sugar Industry Management Information System (SIMIS) Comprehensive data management platform for Belize's sugar industry covering 19,228 digitized cane field polygons (~76,631 acres), a farmer identification database, automated weather data, and harvest-to-mill cane delivery tracking, supporting planning, field verification, and decision-making for SIRDI and industry stakeholders.
• Farmer Field School (FFS) Program Hands-on agricultural training program for sugarcane farmers that teaches best practices across the full production cycle — land preparation, planting, nutrition, weed management, pest management, harvesting, and financial literacy — using practical field exercises over a 2-year period.
• Automated Weather Monitoring System Network of automated weather stations collecting and uploading real-time humidity, precipitation, temperature, radiation, and wind-direction data on a 24-hour basis for agricultural decision-making and SIMIS integration.

Quantifiable outcome

• Increased yields from 21 to 40 tons per acre for replanted fields through Farmer Field School program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Belize Agriculture Health Authority (BAHA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 September 2017MOU signed September 4, 2017 for technical exchanges and capacity building between both parties for reciprocal transfer of technology and training in agriculture and related fields. Partnership aims to contribute to sustainability, development, and economic viability of the agricultural sector in Belize.
• The Hershey CompanymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Historic joint venture launched in 2015 bringing The Hershey Learn to Grow Program to Belize. The partnership supports farmers who grow ingredients for Hershey's products, ensuring ingredients are grown responsibly and sustainably while improving farmer livelihoods.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015WWF collaborated with SIRDI for setup and configuration of automated weather stations at SIRDI headquarters for real-time weather data monitoring.
• Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2014IICA implemented the Institutional Strengthening of SIRDI project, funded by the EU, which initiated Phase 1 of SIMIS development including field data collection and farmer ID system.
• Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association (BSCFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey industry stakeholder collaborating on SIMIS development, field verification exercises, and overall industry coordination. BSCFA's field technicians work with SIRDI extension staff.
• Belize Sugar Industries/American Sugar Refinery (BSI/ASR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey industry stakeholder and mill operator (Tower Hill Factory). Partner in SIMIS development and industry-wide initiatives. BSI/ASR provides about 90% of cane supply to the Tower Hill Factory.
• Sugar Cane Production Committee (SCPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey industry stakeholder collaborating on SIMIS, field verification exercises, and harvest management. SCPC field officers are trained by SIRDI extension officers on variety identification and yield estimation.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CIRAD (French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development): Large European public research organization conducting tropical crop research including sugarcane; comparable as a scientific capacity partner and potential technical resource for biological control and varietal research done by SIRDI.
• EMBRAPA (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation): Brazil's national agricultural research corporation with significant sugarcane, biocontrol, and precision agriculture programs; a broader incumbent whose published research and germplasm inform SIRDI's varietal and IPDM work.
• USDA Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS): U.S. federal agricultural research agency with sugarcane, biocontrol, and remote-sensing capabilities; serves as a comparable public-sector R&D incumbent against which SIRDI's narrower industry-mandated work is benchmarked.

Direct peers

• Sugar Research Australia (SRA): Industry-funded R&D and extension body for the Australian sugarcane sector, delivering variety development, biosecurity, and grower advisory services — comparable in scope and funding model to SIRDI's industry-mandated R&D role.
• West Indies Central Sugar Cane Breeding Station (WICSCBS): Caribbean-based sugarcane breeding and variety development station serving multiple CARICOM sugar industries; comparable to SIRDI's varietal research and clean seed activities within the same regional cane-growing context.
• South African Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI): Statutory sugarcane industry research and extension institute serving South African cane growers and millers; mirrors SIRDI's mandate of varietal research, pest/disease management, and farmer training within a single national sugar value chain.

Regional players

• Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria (INIA) Peru: Peru's national agricultural innovation agency covering crops, biotechnology, and extension in Latin America; comparable as a state-mandated agricultural R&D and extension provider operating in a Latin American context similar to Belize.
• Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI): Regional R&D body serving Caribbean agriculture with extension, training, and applied research; overlaps with SIRDI's farmer field school and technology transfer functions across multiple Caribbean states.
• Centro Guatemalteco de Investigación y Capacitación de la Caña de Azúcar (CENGICAÑA): Guatemalan sugar industry R&D and training center for Central America's largest cane-producing country; comparable in mandate (varietal research, training, technology transfer) and geographic adjacency to SIRDI's role in Belize.

Emerging players

• ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute (SBI): India's national sugarcane research institute delivering breeding, pest management, and extension science; comparable scope to SIRDI but at vastly larger scale, making it an aspirational institutional peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJUeGGeZF5aayOkyFkWXPQA
• Facebookfacebook.com/Sugar-Industry-Research-Development-Institute-199057563537490
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/18271928

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sirdi