In the Dominican Republic It is estimated that more than 200,000 tasks are dedicated to the cultivation of lemon, which generates exports that exceed 17 million dollars and more than 89,000 direct and indirect jobs.
According Raphael Sosapresident of the Dominican Republic Lemon Clustermore than 70,000 tons of lemon are produced in the country.
“We are producing the persian limewhich is the most widespread, that is, it represents about 80% of the lemon plantation and 20% of the eureka lemon or yellow lemon, which is produced more organically and for export to Europe, the Persian lime is more for the market of United States,” said
He said that this year 2023 they are seeking to overcome the exportis above 20%, if the drought It allows.
Said coffee producers and cocoa have lost their vision and have been substituting the plantation for a more profitable product such as the lemon.
“That is why we have been growing in the Dominican Republic, in addition to the quality that we exhibit as a country. We have a very good quality and the international markets demand more from us every day,” he said.
He also said that imports are a headache because there has been non-observance of countries with diseases that in the Dominican Republic they do not exist.
The Ministry of Agriculture, the Plant Health Department They have taken an interest in that and we trust the authorities that they will not allow us to be contaminated from outside,” he said.
Sosa offered his statements in the framework of the Latin American Citrus Congress, organized by the Lemon Cluster of the Dominican Republic, a member of the Dominican Agribusiness Board (JAD). The activity took place at the JAD facilities on March 3 and 4.
Agricultural bank
On the subject of citrus, Juan Rosariosub-administrator of Banco Agrícola, revealed that by 2023 this financial entity will allocate 400 million pesos to support the sector’s production.
The country has a planted area that reaches almost 400 thousand tasks, managing to export 17.7 million dollars of citrus in 2022 to various destinations of:
- Europe
- USA
- Canada
- Haiti
- Nicaragua
- Costa Rica
- Puerto Rico and other Caribbean destinations.
