"As soon as the ban to export Dominican avocados to the United States was abolished, producers and exporters began to make plans for this year's campaign. Local consumption and export estimates have doubled and they will continue to grow year after year, as producers are interested in growing more avocados in our country," said Cesar Perez, the director of operations at Trade.com.do.
He also stated that some varieties had a higher demand for exports and local consumption. "These varieties are the Pollock, Semil-34, Choquette, Dr. Dupuis, and Carla avocados. The avocados are sent by air or by sea in different formats, namely 4 kg (8.8 pounds), 6 kg (13.2 pounds) and 11.5 kg (25 pounds). The main variety is the Semil-34, as it accounts for over 60% of production; the Hass variety ranks second, and it is followed by the Creoles variety. The Dominican Republic occupies the seventh position in the world ranking of avocado growers," said Cesar.
The Center for Export and Investment of the Dominican Republic (CEI-RD) has recently conducted a study with the Agroforsa consultancy company.
Avocado is a key component of reforestation, diversification of income, and the agroforestry production systems. Soil, weather conditions, and handling factors affect the fruit's quality. The study was conducted to determine the quality characteristics of the Semil-34 variety in two major producing areas of cultivation in the north (Moca, Espaillat province) and in the south (Cambita province San Cristobal) by taking into account the soil, climate conditions, and crop management in these areas.
According to the study, the avocado's production's average growth rate between 2002 and 2014 was 13.38%. In 2014, total production amounted to 404,474,000 units. Comparing the data of the Ministry of Agriculture with that of the FAO, this translates to a production of 182,013 metric tons. 27 producers were interviewed for the study, 12 of which are in Moca and 15 in Cambita. Together, they account for 21% and 11.5% of the Semil-34 variety planted in the country, respectively. Both regions receive 2,100 mm of rain per year. The average temperature in Moca, which is located at an altitude of 447 meters, is 25.8 °C while the temperature of Cambita, which is located at 334 meters, is 26 °C. The fruit is harvested at the optimum moment, according to the criteria of the producers, 28 weeks after flowering.
"We are about to start exporting to other Central American countries, starting with Panama, which will be shortly followed by Costa Rica. We are waiting for our local authorities to receive the approved documentation to start exporting," concluded César.
For more information:
César Pérez, director de operaciones