Exports of pineapple and watermelon has decreased significantly in the Dominican Republic.
According to the Comptroller General of the Republic, pineapple exports amounted to $9,620,000 dollars in the first five months of this year, $6,274,000 less than in the same period of the previous year, when they amounted to more than $15 million dollars.
This means exports fell 40% in the first five months of 2015.
Watermelon exports have also declined this year. According to the Comptroller, watermelon exports between January and May 2015 amounted to $12,667,000 dollars, 6% less than the $13,503,000 dollars achieved in the same period of 2014.
Edwin Perez, president of the Union of Agricultural Exporters of Non-Traditional products from Panama (Gantrap), said there had also been decreases in other products, such as melon.
According to Perez, one of the reasons for this drop was the increase in the production of other countries competing with Panama and the falling value of the euro.
He said that some businessmen had stopped their activities, as they were not profitable after the last government suspended incentives to producers.
Yakarta Rios, president of the Ethical Consumer Association, said there was a decline in revenue from agricultural products globally.
Rios said that one of the reasons this happened was because countries like China had encouraged domestic production for local consumption, which had resulted in the decline in demand for products that were once the most popular.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) released the calendar of fairs for exporters, in order to increase business opportunities through direct contact with thousands of international producers.
Source: elsiglo.com