The Dominican Republic has been exporting queen bees to Costa Rica and has received requests for purchases from Nicaragua and Puerto Rico. Ramon Quinones, from the Ministry of Agriculture’s Cattle-Ranching Department, says that exports increased from 240,000 kilograms in 2010 to 492,000 kilograms in 2011. In 2012, exports totaled 518,000 kilograms. The main shipments were to the United States, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, generating US$2,117,369.