Farm export overview

[NewsWhore]

The Center for Export and Investments (CEI-RD) is predicting a lull in exports worth about US$18 million for November and December due to farm damage caused by Tropical Storm Noel. Nevertheless, Eddy Martinez, head of CEI-RD, said that the year should end with total exports reaching an annual total of US$2 billion. He said that of a forecast US$36.6 million in exports, the country would only export US$18.48 million. The storm primarily affected banana plantations where exports this year would have totaled US$8.5 million, but are now likely to be US$5.1 million, a 40% decline. Chinese cabbage exports suffered big losses, and exports of US$5 billion of a previously forecast US$8.3 billion are now expected. Avocado exports will now be down 50%. Of a projected US$1.84 million in exports, harvests will now yield exports totaling about US$920,000. Other export crops that were significantly affected were peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, cabbage and sweet potato, which suffered losses of around 70%.
The breakdown of volume of crops affected is as follows: Chinese vegetables (Santiago, La Vega and San Cristobal), 75-80%; plantains (Santiago, La Vega, Barahona, Azua), 70-95%; avocados (Barahona, Azua, San Cristobal) 45-50%; tomatoes, peppers and onions (San Cristobal) 80%; bananas (Valverde) 80%; sweet potato, cassava (La Vega) 70-75%.
Martinez added that efforts are under way to restore the farms and recover the export crops in the short and medium term.

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