Despite maintaining a leading position in the supply of organic products to the European market, organic banana exports from the Dominican Republic to the European Union have fallen by 16.9 per cent in the last three years. Production has been affected by pests and adverse weather events, attributable to climate change.
Data from the Directorate General of Customs (DGA) indicate that Dominican organic banana sales to the European bloc went from $128.7 million in 2022 to $106.8 million in 2024. During the last three years, exports to Europe have amounted to $354.3 million.
Despite this decline, European representatives believe that there is still an opportunity for growth. This is a great moment to increase organic exports, given the growing interest of European consumers, stated Luis Araque de Juan, the EU Delegation's head of organic trade in the country. "We want those organic banana exports to keep coming. The market is getting bigger and bigger, and the Dominican Republic can take advantage of that growth," he stressed.
In 2018, the Dominican Republic was Europe's leading supplier of organic bananas. Currently, it is the second largest supplier of this type of fruit to the EU bloc, behind Ecuador, which has led the sector since 2019. The local sector has requested government support to deal with the difficulties it faces.
According to the latest Banana Market Analysis prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Dominican banana exports have been decreasing since 2018. In the last year alone, shipments went from 275,000 to 258,000 tons, a 6.1% decrease. Nevertheless, the country remains the leading banana producer in the Caribbean, accounting for 98.4% of the volume exported from the region in 2024.
The slump has been even more pronounced for organic plantain. Exports to Europe have fallen by 99.6% in just two years, from $21.5 million in 2022 to just $85,765 in 2024, according to official figures. Cumulative organic plantain sales to the European continent since 2022 amount to $24.3 million.
Source: diariolibre.com