According to Agriculture Minister Angel Estevez, the Dominican Republic will start exporting honey directly to the European market from 2016. More than 3,454 beekeepers in the country will be supplying the product.
The country is already exporting some honey via Puerto Rico but the European Union has now agreed to accept direct exports of honey as the Dominican Republic now meets the sanitary requirements.
Estevez said that this was a very significant development for the country, with current honey production at around 2,500 metric tons per year, of which more than 900 tons are sent to the US market. He ended by saying that according to their projections, honey exports to Europe could reach 3,000 tons during the first five years at an average price of US$3.5 a kilo.
Read more in Spanish: http://www.elnuevodiario.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=446193