Coffee production in the Dominican Republic facts for kids
Coffee production in the Dominican Republic mainly happens in the country's mountain regions. These highlands make up about half of the island of Hispaniola. Coffee plants were first brought to the Dominican Republic in 1715. The coffee beans grown here are known for being larger and thicker than those from Martinique. The main type of coffee grown is Arabica, which is famous worldwide for its mild flavor. Another type, Robusta, is also grown but only on a small amount of land. This Robusta coffee is mostly used within the country.
History of Coffee in the Dominican Republic
Coffee was first introduced to the Dominican Republic in 1715. It quickly became the most important crop for small farms. The country started exporting coffee around 1872. In the early 1900s, coffee was grown all over the Cibao region, especially near Puerto Plata. In 1900, the Dominican Republic exported about 3,951,539 pounds (1,792,380 kilograms) of coffee. By 1918, important coffee-growing areas included Moca, Santiago, and Baní. About 66% of the coffee exported at that time left from Puerto Plata.
The land used for coffee farms used to be about 120,000 hectares (296,526 acres). This was about 3% of all farmland. However, since 1981, the amount of land used for coffee has gone down. Even so, the total amount of coffee produced has stayed about the same. This is because farmers now use modern farming methods and tools.
Main Coffee Regions
There are five main regions where coffee is grown in the Dominican Republic. Four of these are in the hilly parts of the country. These regions are:
- The Central Mountain Region
- The Northern Mountain Region
- The Neyba Mountain Range
- The Bahoruco Mountain Range
Between 40,000 and 50,000 farmers work in the coffee industry in the Dominican Republic.
Coffee Production Today
In 2013, the Dominican Republic produced about 10,100 short tons (9,162 metric tons) of coffee. This was about 0.1 percent of all the coffee produced in the world that year. Coffee was grown on an area of 22,400 hectares (55,351 acres). The average yield was about 451 kilograms (994 pounds) of coffee per hectare. These numbers come from the FAO.
