Dominican Republic targets growth in global coconut industry

The Dominican Republic is positioned to expand its presence in the global coconut industry, driven by an international demand that is growing by more than 10% annually. During the inaugural DominiCoco summit, leaders highlighted that the global market reached approximately 65 million tons in 2024.

Osmar Benítez, president of the Dominican Agro-Industrial Board (JAD), noted that the country can increase its market share by boosting production, integrating new technologies, and developing an industry capable of generating higher value from coconut derivatives such as water, oil, milk, and cream. While Indonesia, the Philippines, and India control nearly 70% of global production, the Dominican Republic has seen its domestic cultivation grow by more than 10% annually over the last four years.

Currently, the sector includes over 5,000 registered producers and an estimated 880,000 tareas of cultivated land, with production concentrated in Samaná, María Trinidad Sánchez, La Altagracia, and Monte Plata. Despite successful exports to the United States—including approximately US$33.87 million in coconut cream and US$20 million in coconut milk—the local industry remains reliant on raw material imports, having spent roughly US$83 million on imports over the last five and a half years.

Key challenges to sector growth include limited access to irrigation, financing, and technical assistance, as well as an aging producer population. Stakeholders aim to address these issues by attracting younger workers and increasing productivity through technological adoption.