The Dominican Republic has become a worldwide leader in organic agriculture with its just over 162,000 hectares of various crops and 24,161 certified growers, whose exports bring over 200 million dollars into the economy.
The strength of the sector received the recognition of Luis Ramón Rodríguez, Minister of Agriculture, with the creation of the new Department for Organic Agriculture (DAO).
Rodríguez said that organic agriculture is becoming increasingly more important due to the growing demand for these products in the international markets.
The new department will evaluate, register and inspect the activities of both operators and certification bodies in the country.
One of the resolution's recitals highlights "the relevance of the agricultural sector's contribution in terms of food production, generation of foreign exchange, creation of jobs and provision of raw materials for the processing industry, as well as its making it possible to meet the growing demand for organic products in the national and international markets."
Another establishes that organic agriculture restores soil stability, increases productivity and reduces production costs, while providing a healthy relationship with the environment.
One of the main functions of the Department will be to promote organic agriculture through all the Regional Agricultural Directorates of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Some of the main organic products for export are cocoa, bananas, coffee, coconuts, mangoes, lemons, avocados, melons, ginger, macadamia nuts, yucca and vegetables.
In 2012, the country exported 96,235 tonnes of cacao, 165,000 of bananas, 4,107 of coffee, 3,432 of coconuts, 3,156 of mangoes, 2,180 of lemons, 563 of avocados, 1,200 of melons, 98 of ginger, 36 of macadamia nuts, 2,024 of yucca and 615 tonnes of vegetables.
In the south, around 11,805 producers are devoted to growing organic bananas, mangoes, coffee, cacao, oranges and lemons, while in the northern central regions 5,074 producers cultivate organic cacao, coffee, vegetables and lemons.
In the north, 725 producers grow coffee, cacao and avocados; in the north western regions, 5,457 cultivate organic bananas, mangoes, lemons and coffee and in the east, 1,100 are devoted to organic cacao and coconuts.
This makes a total of 24,161 growers nationwide.
Source: Panoramadiario.com
Source: Panoramadiario.com