Growing demand for organic products

posted on: Jan 6 2012 10:19 by RDugey. Viewed 13 times.

Organic agriculture is a form of production that has been gaining field in Dominican Republic, in a manner such that has positioned itself as the largest exporter of cocoa and banana organic in all the world.

The official figures issued by the Ministry of agriculture, indicate that exports of organic products are placed in around US$ 200 million for year

The Ministry stresses that in the agricultural area is remarkable the sustained growth of the subsector of the organic agriculture that has been growing at a rate of 25% and 30% each year, especially in the cultivation of cocoa organic.

The main organic products that sells Dominican Republic abroad include: coffee, mango, lemon, coconut, avocado, vegetable, bitter cassava, melon, cacao and banana, representing the last two exports of $174 million year.

Cocoa represents exports by $110 million per year and banana US$ 64 u000amillion.

The Vice-President of the Dominican Agroempresarial Board (JAD), Osmar Benítez, said then that the countries of Europe and United States began to demand products whose production form becomes friendly to the environment, Dominican Republic began to increase their planting areas and to promote food exports organic.

"With the new policy of the European Commission in 1992 and to the jurisdiction of Ecuador, which was the main exporter of organic bananas, started promoting exports of organic bananas", stated.

Global market
Benitez reported that five years ago, the FIMARC movements of organic agriculture (Ifoam) reported that the organic market was more than US$ 30 billion, and reports that you reached $57,000 million for 2011.

Expressed the organic market which became popular in Europe moved to Japan, Canada and u000aUnited States, by which over the years has considerably increased the number of consumers who demand organic products.

Explained that with the growth of organic agriculture also grew the sector of the agro-industrial organic, since wild oats, milk, biscuits and other products are also produced organic.

Benefit
the national director of the programme of organic agriculture in the Ministry of agriculture, John Arthur, who is also a specialist of the Inter-American Institute for cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), considered that among the main benefits of organic farming are, these types of products to occupy the place number 1 in exports, as well as recognition and earned spaces which has the country on the international markets.

Weaknesses
as weaknesses of organic agriculture, Arthur, stressed that the country still does not occur u000aorganic foods to sell them on the market internal.

He explained that organic foods that are producing for local consumption do not have certificates for the high cost of certification and for that reason are not marketed with this distinction.

Challenges
the official of the Ministry of agriculture said that existing plans to extend organic in the country, production is underway in project to grow rice organic.

"I what I think is that that will be more understood processes will continue to grow the organic farming, because the country has the conditions to be producer of ecological way of all the headings", pointed out.

Considered that for this country is more produce all products export organic way, although in the beginning turns out to be very difficult, but that with the over the years, the benefits would be more u000anotables.

He explained that every day increases the number of consumers, and especially in the countries of more affluent, who prefer to buy healthier products which enable them to have better quality of life, which in turn demand growth in the supply.

Distribution of the organic agriculture
data provided by the Ministry of Agriculture indicates that organic agriculture represents the 11.84% of agricultural land in Dominican Republic, which are estimated at around 20 million tasks.

Organic farming is carried out by small and medium-sized producers whose properties vary between 5 and 100 tasks in the stratum of small and between 100 and 250 tasks at the level of the medium.

Explains that the producers with areas over 250 tasks are considered large producers and form a mass of less than 15% of the universe.

The total number of registered certified organic producers in u000athe Ministry of agriculture is 23,360 small, medium and large organic producers.

The organic chain is divided into individual producers, producer groups, processing companies and corporate marketing.

The report from the Ministry indicates that there are also organizations such as Ideac, Propesur, Conacado and others that give accompanying technical and managerial groups of producers organized.

It is estimated that in the past five years organic agriculture went from exporting $74 million in 2006 to $ 200 million by 2010, of which only organic cocoa represents more than 50%.