Agriculture

Although it has declined dramatically since the 1960s, agriculture remains an important factor in the economy of the Dominican Republic, accounting for an estimated 7.6 percent of the GDP in 2011. Sugar continues to occupy an important role in the country's agricultural production and exports, but output has fallen considerably since the 1980s, and there are many other crops grown, including food for local consumption and non-traditional exports such as pineapples and exotic fruits destined for Europe and the United States. The Dominican Republic is overall a net exporter of agricultural products, with sugar, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, and meat among its principal exports. Dominican cigars now outsell Cuban ones. In the late 1990s tobacco exports averaged US$100 million annually.

Significant growth has also been recorded in non-traditional exports such as cut flowers and ornamental plants. The Dominican Republic is also a major producer of bananas, and although most were consumed locally, a large number of producers have begun exporting organic bananas to a growing market in Europe and the United States.

Contemporary ideas of organic production were introduced into the Dominican Republic in the early 1980s, but it was not until the mid 1990s that production expanded. Organic production is now an important component of the agricultural sector. In 2006 organic produce was estimated to contribute about 20 percent of total agricultural exports with a value of USD $74 million. In 2011, the value of organic exports had more than doubled to USD $205 million. The Dominican Republic is currently one of the leading exporters of tropical organic products globally. Organic production in the country is clearly dominated by bananas and cocoa which account for about 40 percent of all organic exports.