In an effort to diversify agricultural production, the Dominican Republic has announced a program to bolster dragon fruit (pitahaya) production.
The Minister of Agriculture, Ramon Rodriguez, highlighted the fruit’s export potential, focused especially on specialty markets.
He stated that the fruit represents an interesting option for Dominican farmers to diversify production systems and generate more income, while expanding the nation’s export portfolio.
The Dominican Institute for Agricultural and Forestry Research (IDIAF) will lead the program with financing from the Agricultural Bank.
The first phase of the program will establish pilot production sites in two regions of the country. These pilot project sites will serve as an educational springboard to replicate the production systems across the country.
Although the white-fleshed dragon fruit grows wild in the Dominican Republic’s forests, the fruit has not yet been developed for wide commercial production on the island.
In 2009, IDIAF began collaboration with Taiwanese International Development Agency (ICDF) officials to encourage the establishment of dragon fruit plantations for the export markets.
Currently, IDIAF has eight dragon fruit varieties being evaluated and replicated its fruit station in Peravia (Bani), and the varieties have been made available to producers interested in pursuing production.
http://www.freshfruitportal.com/2014/04/15/dominican-republic-encourages-dragonfruit-exports/?country=others