The Dominican Republic has specialized in the production of coconut cream and is now the largest producer in the world, with sales of around US$15 million, according to Horacio Lomba, a specialist in the production and processing of the product. The recent boon in coconut cream consumption is an opportunity for the country to increase its market share in North American and European markets, he says.
However, he warns that while demand is increasing, the coconut plantations are declining due to their age, lack of title deeds that restrict access to credit, pests, the use of varieties that do not produce many coconuts and the high cost of land that was traditionally used for planting and now is being dedicated to tourism.
Five years ago, the country was the fifth largest exporter of coconuts and now has slipped to ninth place. Due to the scarcity of the coconuts, the DR is now importing around 20 million coconuts a year from Guyana, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia.
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Listin Diario
24 October 2017
