NewsWhore
09-07-2011, 03:50 PM
Wataru Suzuki, political and economic charge d'affaires at the Japanese Embassy in the Dominican Republic and Takuji Tomono, a volunteer for the Japanese International Cooperation Agency told Listin Diario there is room for more farm exports from the DR in Japan. Suzuki said the Embassy was working with the Mango Cluster and the Dominican Export Association to increase mango exports to Japan. He also said that talks were in process with rum producers of for increased exports.
Japan imports cacao, mangos, banana, green coffee and other fruits from the DR, along with medical supplies and disposables manufactured in free zones. "There is great demand for cacao, mangos, coffee and tropical fruits, but there is a lot of competition from other countries", said Takuji Tomono, a volunteer for the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in the interview.
"The Japanese want tropical fruit and are willing to pay lots if the producers can offer good products," said Tomono. He said products with export potential in addition to mango include avocados, melons, pineapple, tobacco, peppers, and beans.
Tomono said the bigger challenges are being able to compete in price, quality and delivery, and meeting export standards. He said that the DR needed to compete with exports from Mexico, Taiwan and the Philippines, and to do so it needs to secure lower cost airfreight, by shipping through the US instead of Canada. Tomono said that the DR needed to establish a Dominican brand in the Japanese market.
Tomono said the major competitors in cacao are Ghana, Venezuela, Ecuador and Ivory Coast. The DR is in eighth place of cacao exporters to Japan. The DR is the seventh largest exporter of bananas.
To contact Suzuki, write to wataru.suzuki-2@mofa.go.jp or to embjpn.dr@claro.net.do
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)
Japan imports cacao, mangos, banana, green coffee and other fruits from the DR, along with medical supplies and disposables manufactured in free zones. "There is great demand for cacao, mangos, coffee and tropical fruits, but there is a lot of competition from other countries", said Takuji Tomono, a volunteer for the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in the interview.
"The Japanese want tropical fruit and are willing to pay lots if the producers can offer good products," said Tomono. He said products with export potential in addition to mango include avocados, melons, pineapple, tobacco, peppers, and beans.
Tomono said the bigger challenges are being able to compete in price, quality and delivery, and meeting export standards. He said that the DR needed to compete with exports from Mexico, Taiwan and the Philippines, and to do so it needs to secure lower cost airfreight, by shipping through the US instead of Canada. Tomono said that the DR needed to establish a Dominican brand in the Japanese market.
Tomono said the major competitors in cacao are Ghana, Venezuela, Ecuador and Ivory Coast. The DR is in eighth place of cacao exporters to Japan. The DR is the seventh largest exporter of bananas.
To contact Suzuki, write to wataru.suzuki-2@mofa.go.jp or to embjpn.dr@claro.net.do
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)