With an investment of over 60 million pesos, the Special Fund for Agricultural Development (FEDA) presented the Plan to Promote the Chocolate Industry and Consumption, which aims at the agro-industrialization of Dominican cocoa by financing and supporting small and medium-sized chocolate manufacturers, grouped in associations and cooperatives, mainly of women, to improve their production and quality.
This was announced by FEDA director, Hecmilio Galván, in a meeting with cocoa and chocolate producers. In response to President Abinader’s decision to industrialize the country, FEDA presents to you this plan that aims to take advantage of the positioning of organic cocoa cultivation, in which the Dominican Republic is the world’s leading exporter, however, all of it is exported in the form of beans, thus reducing the producer’s income.
Dominican Republic exports 80 thousand tons of organic cocoa but in turn imports millions of dollars in chocolate, if we are number one in the world why can not we also be number one in chocolate? said Galván.
At the meeting, to kick off the National Plan to Promote the Processing and Consumption of Dominican Chocolate, participated representatives of the associations of Mujeres Esperanza Unidas, Mujeres Unidas para Avanzar, Mujeres Los Naranjo de Castillo, Mujeres La Lisa and María Bertilia Suriel.
Also from the cooperative of Caco del Este Producers, CHOCOLALA Artisan Chocolate Factory, Chocolate de la Cuenca de Altamira CHOCAL, Chocora Agro Industrial Las Productivas, Cooperative of Cacao del Este Producers, Industria Chocolatera de Hato Mayor, Emprendedoras Choco Caribe, Fundación de Desarrollo Integral de Cacaoteros del Este FUNDIGAS.
Galván said that this project materializes a dream of many years with which we value what we produce. Our cocoa has great value and little effort has been made in the country to industrialize it, being the best organic cocoa in the world. Let’s value what is ours”.
He expressed that this is the first official project to support chocolate in the country that sows and cultivates the best organic cocoa so it has to be part of our identity, he assured that all the companies that are producing chocolate will also be supported.
The event took place at the CONFENAGRO headquarters in the Ciudad Ganadera, the official created several commissions that will be responsible for carrying out the project by offering technical assistance, training in the productive aspects, marketing, as well as a promotional campaign to encourage mass consumption of chocolate, under the slogan ”the time has come for chocolate in the Dominican Republic”.
