Exporters turn to Puerto Rico and US and demand from France tails off
Watermelon exports from the Dominican Republic have been growing steadily in the past three years fuelled by strong demand from Puerto Rico.
As reported in Diario Libre, the country exported an average of US$416,000 of watermelons between 2014 and 2021. The following year, shipment volumes increased and in 2024 a total of US$1.7mn was exported, of which US$1.6mn went to Puerto Rico according to data from trade promotion agency ProDominicana.
The US was the second biggest market, taking US$112,000, followed by Curaçao (US$58,320) and the Virgin Islands (US$24,704). Other destinations include the Netherlands, Guadeloupe, Aruba, Saint Martin and Anguilla.
Meanwhile, melon exports from the Dominican Republic have decreased over time, going from US$3.4mn in 2014 to just US$596,918 in 2024.
Dominican melons have lost market share in France, previously the main buyer of this fruit until 2021. Since then, exporters have turned their focus on the US market.
In 2024, melon exports to the US totalled US$273,279, 59.6 per cent less than the US$676,996 shipped in 2023. France took just US$148,899 of DR melons last year.
Other markets included Belgium (US$68,903), the Netherlands (US$42,210), Saint Martin (US$35,366), and Puerto Rico (US$23,774).
The president of the Dominican Association of Exporters (Adoexpo), Karel Castillo, said the drop in melon exports is due to a decrease in planted area and the ability of exporters to meet market demands.
However, he suggested that the Dominican Republic has the opportunity to increase shipments to Central America and the US.
