Dominican Cocoa Farmer

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC PLANS CASH BOOST TO PROMOTE COCOA

The Dominican Republic is known for its production of high-quality organic cocoa, and has been recently recognised with two silver awards in the prestigious Cocoa of Excellence Awards in 2021.

As one of the global leaders in exporting Fairtrade organic cocoa, the government has announced the decision to invest RD$60m (USD$1m) to ‘promote the industry and consumption of chocolate’. The funding is to come from the Special Fund for Agricultural Development (FEDA).

Feda presents to you this plan that aims to take advantage of the positioning of organic cocoa cultivation, in which the Dominican Republic is the world’s leading exporter.

Hecmilio Galván, Director of FEDA

The goal of the cash contribution is to encourage the agro-industrialisation of Dominican cocoa by improving both its production and quality. To achieve this, the initiative will facilitate training workshops for small and medium chocolate producers. They’ll also help with financing, and support through associations and cooperatives to improve product quality.

The country produces approximately 70,000 tonnes of organic fine-flavour cocoa each year. While only 2% of the world’s cocoa is sourced from the Dominican Republic, they account for 70% of global organic certified cocoa, making them the world leaders in that regard.

Of the Caribbean country’s 40,000 cocoa producers, 16.5% of them are engaged in organic cocoa production. Since organic cocoa can fetch a higher premium than regular cocoa, it is not surprising that the country, which is already well-positioned to produce high-quality cocoa, is investing in this area.

Picture from: Solidarity Center | Flickr

Author

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

en_GBEnglish