Dominican Republic food imports jump 17% in March to US$220.5 M

[mountainannie]

that does not explain anything. i am talking about a 17% increase in a month.

well I think it does - more and more US products on the shelves every time I go to the Supermercado. More and more US cereals, cookies, soap powder, cheese, even veggies - such as mushrooms - and cauliflower which is grown here .. more and more froze-n stuff

that is just from the Dominican importers - who have no thought to their own people

like - say - Hippolito - who imports the apples and grapes - and when I asked his son (who bragged on the fact that he went to grad school- business school -in South Carolina)

and has a model where an individual seller can just go to the warehouse and buy a carton (I wondered why it was that I had seen apples as the only fruit for sale in Dajabon - for instance)

why he did not promote the produce - export -of his own country - instead of bringing in foreign fruit to compete with it?

He said "you do not understand -our country is not ready for export"

 

[donP]

Old Cows

... a lot of the European guys here are using the same old Dominican cows to produce tender steaks.

Papaya juice or skin would also do.

But a(n old) cow does not make a good tasting tender steak*; but a young (20-24 months) bull does.
Problem is, that the beef sold here, mainly comes from (older) cows.

donP

*)
Just ask CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC :bunny:

 

[the gorgon]

well I think it does - more and more US products on the shelves every time I go to the Supermercado. More and more US cereals, cookies, soap powder, cheese, even veggies - such as mushrooms - and cauliflower which is grown here .. more and more froze-n stuff

that is just from the Dominican importers - who have no thought to their own people

like - say - Hippolito - who imports the apples and grapes - and when I asked his son (who bragged on the fact that he went to grad school- business school -in South Carolina)

and has a model where an individual seller can just go to the warehouse and buy a carton (I wondered why it was that I had seen apples as the only fruit for sale in Dajabon - for instance)

why he did not promote the produce - export -of his own country - instead of bringing in foreign fruit to compete with it?

He said "you do not understand -our country is not ready for export"

17% increase in a month does not sound right to me. i attribute that report to another faux pas from the Dominican press. nobody has said whether or not the increase is quantitative or qualitative. if it is quantitative, then it is to be a response to a shortfall in the previous accounting cycle. not enough rice, not enough potatoes. if there was no shortfall, then the importers must know that there would be a glut if they increased their imports. unless these guys know something the rest of us do not, and have brought in certain products in large amounts for hoarding purposes, waiting for a price increase. if it is a qualitative increase, it would mean that tastes have changed in the space of a month, and so has discretionary income. i cannot see that happening.

i believe it is a misprint. 1.7% seems more like it. i cannot see why one would increase the importation of stables, all the while knowing that there is the possibility of a huge depletion of the population vis a vis deportations of Haitians.

 

[donP]

Carbide Ripening

...no control of theft ...the bananas and mangos are good...

The campo bananas are flavourful.
Others that come from larger plantations are often harvested green and put in plastic bags with carbide for ripening.
Theft protection?

Indeed, you can get very good mangos.
Some are enriched with protein (the little white worms), they are also good (for you)... :bunny:

donP

 

[franco1111]

The dr people should introduce healthier meals at home,and as fast food. Rice and other white starches puts on the pounds and boost sugar levels, so its not healthy. I love me rice and beans and yuca n plantains, but people cant eat like that everyday.
Milks and cheeses, beans chicken and other protiens, greens .... gotta mix it up! Im lucky i live in the states near a veggie and fruit $1 store /wholesaler that serves an pacific asian and latino community.
The campo land of the DR is fertile enough to grow varieties of squash, broccoli cauliflower and all the different varieties of verduras to fill the plates of many hungry people, without the need for pica pollo or fried salami and tostones breakfast.
The big problem is not enough baking, everything frito or boiled. I had to visit a few different fincas to get supplies because all the colmado had was platanos and batata. Eso no se use aki!
To import all that product for american branded resturaunts , and to feed all those tourist with imported crap, people are really missing out.

Part of the problem with baking is the oven puts off much heat. Just an observation. Many don't have them for that reason. Also, the glass top cook stoves from Europe - loco.

 

[MikeFisher]

As many urban areas in the USA are dominated with a mix of small amounts of high quality foods, out of the price range and convenience of the typical economic middle class. While having a majority of unhealthy artificially favored, pesticide treated, genetically modified, antibiotic and steroid injected foods saturating most stores. The choices of foods at gas stations, grocery stores and convenient stores are limited to a handful of brands, the unhealthy variety.

The DR has an increase in food imports partial stimulated by tourist, expats and economically upper class Dominicans. So far the DR has not fully assimilated it's food supply to mirror store shelves in the USA, that would be tragic.

Why hasn't the agriculture sector of the island transition more into the market share occupied by imports?



http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/ec...lic-food-imports-jump-17-in-March-to-US2205-M

aside of the really good and cheap US Beef, why would somebody like more than the already available average every day items from US-shelfs imported? the supermarkets are already stocked with many US and wetsren european items, a good variety, for cheap prices, it's all good.
the "unhealthy" stuff can stay where it belongs to/where the demand for it is big.

Mike

 

[MikeFisher]

Fruit and vegetables in the DR I purchased, were more palatable than an average super market in the U.S.A. It is one of the appeals the DR has, which I hope it retains.

Decreasing produce imports and increasing domestic production of superior quality, help the local economy with job creation. I can even see shipments to the entire Caribbean performed cheaper and faster than any North American or European suppliers. Preservatives and large fuel cost are a necessity for imports. The DR could ship by barge to Puerto Rico, Turks and both Virgin islands.

Island countries are highly concern about inflation. Here is a solution if they wresting the business away for those making money on imports.

huge producers/selles, like that large US Market, ship in highest quantities to well placed locations like PoP or St Dgo, from there it adds the same fuel costs for transportations than the locally produced items have, and if the local product gets sold in lower quantities, the transport costs per item/per pound are even well higher.
hence you pay for many imported items from the usa and even europe the same or even lower price, than for a comparable local product.
it is all about Quantity and to "organize" the transportation/distribition cost effective with a grain or two of brain.

Mike

 

[monfongo]

This is to funny ,It's not about what gringos want, It's about what Dominicans want and it seems as if they want more of a selection, I remember 25 yrs. ago when there was no selection .So stop telling Dominicans what's good for them.

 

[Mauricio]

that does not explain anything. i am talking about a 17% increase in a month.

- another way of calculating
- a mistake in the numbers until last month
- a mistake in the numbers of this month
- a mistake in interpreting the numbers

That or something else except that Dominicans really imported 17% more from one month to the next.

 

[the gorgon]

- another way of calculating
- a mistake in the numbers until last month
- a mistake in the numbers of this month
- a mistake in interpreting the numbers

That or something else except that Dominicans really imported 17% more from one month to the next.

any or all of those factors could explain that press release. there is absolutely no way that a country could import 17% more from one MONTH to the next. cannot happen.

 

[donP]

Glowing red

Also, the glass top cook stoves from Europe - loco.

You mean those glass covered red glowing coils {electric ceramic (glass) hobs}?
I doubt that there are many places where you could use them... each time you turn them on, the whole barrio would shout 'se fue la luz'....

:laugh:

donP

 

[chic]

aside of the really good and cheap US Beef, why would somebody like more than the already available average every day items from US-shelfs imported? the supermarkets are already stocked with many US and wetsren european items, a good variety, for cheap prices, it's all good.
the "unhealthy" stuff can stay where it belongs to/where the demand for it is big.

Mike

beef is domestic protected mkt no drcafta beef

 

[the gorgon]

beef is domestic protected mkt no drcafta beef

you might need to show us that stipulation in the DRCAFTA statutes. my understanding is that there is one protected line item in CAFTA for each country. if memory serves me correctly, the USA chose sugar and its derivatives, whch gave it 27 protected items. the central American republics chose a particular species of corn. i am not sure what the DR chose, so maybe you can enlighten us.

 

[chic]

it might be the dom beef producers who fought the import of u.s. beef.. beef is big d.p. and without quoting any source if you need to do the research ....btw it (stip) was probably read here on dr1 front pages...

 

[dv8]

maybe it was connected with upcoming (in may) mother's day and promotions that go on during that time?

 

[MikeFisher]

there are many different imported Beefs readily available, and easy affordable.
i always try when i find a new one at the super.
til now never been disapointed.
i have no clue what a lbs of beef costs abroad, it is too long that i lived somewhere else than in the DR, so i cant comparethe prices, but i get well acceptable beef's here at the super ranging per pound from 155.- pesos for the cheaper ones (i just have a 5lbs piece in the fridge, i leave it there 3-4 days then cut it to pieces of my prefered sizes and store them in the fridge in zip-lock-bags), most kinds range between 200.300.- pesos per lbs, the most expensive i had was 790.- per lbs. that's all for Lomitos, no bones, and all prices at the super pola in Punta Cana.

Mike

 

[franco1111]

You mean those glass covered red glowing coils {electric ceramic (glass) hobs}?
I doubt that there are many places where you could use them... each time you turn them on, the whole barrio would shout 'se fue la luz'....

:laugh:

donP

That's the ones. We have enough problems in La Romana sometimes. One day all the bombillas started exploding for some reason. Landlord said all was good with the wiring the house. It was outside. As is often the situation. Some neighborhoods better than others.

 

[chic]

There are still massive fields that are cultivated near our house, come out and visit when we get back and I'll give you a tour.

The beef - someone a long time ago posted that the problem is that it's not aged in DR. Makes sense to me!

u.s. beef and argentine beef are "corn fed" which fattens them up....do you think a dominican farmer is going to buy corn for cattle???to fatten them up...in the u.s. this corn is relatively inexpensive to large producers /herders....

 

[chic]

sh''t i abhor the beef...pork. chic and when beef is around i make sure i eat alot of colorodos...friloles rojo...big red beans legumes... gas attack???who cares....not me...i do eat the molido,,,

 

[monfongo]

US beef is fed a mixture of grains not just corn.