Relationship between Climate and Agriculture:
The climate of the Dominican Republic puts its agriculture industry at risk. Climate conditions in the Dominican Republic are considered to be extreme and harsh. Droughts, heat stress, flood, extremely high temperatures and frequent changes in rainfall are some of the reasons as to why the agriculture is at a disadvantage. Crop production is also at a disadvantage because these harsh climates lead to the spread of things such as pests and diseases.
Agricultural Production
Top 5 Agricultural Products in the Dominican Republic
Cocoa
Cocoa is a cash crop. Cocoa, also known as cacao, is native to the deep tropical regions of Mesoamerica. The Cocoa bean itself has been consumed by humans over 5,000 years ago! It was mainly cultivated by the Mayan, Toltec, and Aztec peoples, who used it to prepare a ceremonial drink. Christopher Columbus took these cocoa beans to Mexico during his fourth voyage in 1502 and introduced Spaniards to a new beverage. While in Mexico, the beans were frequently modified with different ingredients such as maize (corn), vanilla, and various spices and sweeteners.
Cocoa is a cash crop. Cocoa, also known as cacao, is native to the deep tropical regions of Mesoamerica. The Cocoa bean itself has been consumed by humans over 5,000 years ago! It was mainly cultivated by the Mayan, Toltec, and Aztec peoples, who used it to prepare a ceremonial drink. Christopher Columbus took these cocoa beans to Mexico during his fourth voyage in 1502 and introduced Spaniards to a new beverage. While in Mexico, the beans were frequently modified with different ingredients such as maize (corn), vanilla, and various spices and sweeteners.
Sugarcane
Sugarcane is a cash crop. Sugar cane is a subtropical/tropical grass that originated in Papua, New Guinea and spread throughout Southeast Asia, India, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Hawaii, and the Southern United States because of human migration and the slave trade. Because it is used to make a majority of the world's sugar supply, many sugar cane species have been bred to be high-yielding. Aside from sugar, sugar cane roots and stems are also used to create medications that treat skin, make cleaning solvents, hair-removing products, and soap.
Sugarcane is a cash crop. Sugar cane is a subtropical/tropical grass that originated in Papua, New Guinea and spread throughout Southeast Asia, India, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Hawaii, and the Southern United States because of human migration and the slave trade. Because it is used to make a majority of the world's sugar supply, many sugar cane species have been bred to be high-yielding. Aside from sugar, sugar cane roots and stems are also used to create medications that treat skin, make cleaning solvents, hair-removing products, and soap.
Rice
Rice is a cash crop. Rice is a cereal grain that is produced as a grass plant. Roughly half of the world's population, mostly East and Southeast Asia is dependent on rice. 95 percent of the world's rice crop is eaten by humans. Rice is cooked by boiling or it can be ground into a flour. Rice is apart of many Asian, Middle Eastern and African cuisines. In the 1960s during the Green Revolution, "miracle rice" was known as one of the "improved food crops". It is grown in submerged land in the coastal plains, tidal deltas, and river basins of tropical, semitropical, and temperate regions.
Rice is a cash crop. Rice is a cereal grain that is produced as a grass plant. Roughly half of the world's population, mostly East and Southeast Asia is dependent on rice. 95 percent of the world's rice crop is eaten by humans. Rice is cooked by boiling or it can be ground into a flour. Rice is apart of many Asian, Middle Eastern and African cuisines. In the 1960s during the Green Revolution, "miracle rice" was known as one of the "improved food crops". It is grown in submerged land in the coastal plains, tidal deltas, and river basins of tropical, semitropical, and temperate regions.
Coffee
Coffee is a cash crop. A coffee bean is a seed of the coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit often referred to as a cherry. According to a legend, the first coffee plant was found in Ethiopia by a goat herder named Kaldi around 850 AD. It is said that Kaldi observed increased physical activity in his goats after they consumed coffee beans. The two most economically common forms of the coffee plant is the arabica and the robusta. The arabica is the most produced strand of coffee, while robusta is the least. Coffee beans are a major cash crop. They account for over 50 percent of some developing nations' foreign exchange earnings.
Coffee is a cash crop. A coffee bean is a seed of the coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit often referred to as a cherry. According to a legend, the first coffee plant was found in Ethiopia by a goat herder named Kaldi around 850 AD. It is said that Kaldi observed increased physical activity in his goats after they consumed coffee beans. The two most economically common forms of the coffee plant is the arabica and the robusta. The arabica is the most produced strand of coffee, while robusta is the least. Coffee beans are a major cash crop. They account for over 50 percent of some developing nations' foreign exchange earnings.
Cotton
Cotton is a cash crop. Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case. It is native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, Africa, Egypt, and India. The greatest diversity of wild cotton species is found in Mexico, followed by Australia and Africa. Cotton is one of the world's leading agricultural crops. The United States has been the world's leading exporter of cotton for many years. It is plentiful and economically produced. making it very inexpensive. Cotton can be used for many things such as apparel, home furnishings, and industrial uses.
Cotton is a cash crop. Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case. It is native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, Africa, Egypt, and India. The greatest diversity of wild cotton species is found in Mexico, followed by Australia and Africa. Cotton is one of the world's leading agricultural crops. The United States has been the world's leading exporter of cotton for many years. It is plentiful and economically produced. making it very inexpensive. Cotton can be used for many things such as apparel, home furnishings, and industrial uses.
Rural Land Use
According the World Bank, 48.69 percent of land in the Dominican Republic is used for agriculture. Most of the agriculture in the Dominican Republic is subsistence agriculture with leading cash crops being rice and sugar cane. Much of the production is geared to subsistence farming, but the Dominican Republic also produces some of the world's leading cash crops such as cacao, tobacco, coffee and vegetables.
Landscape
In the Dominican Republic, agricultural insurance against natural disasters is nonexistent. Because that rice and sugar cane are the two crops that centers agricultural activity in the Dominican Republic, it is important the they are prone to many of the natural disasters that occur. Hurricanes, tropical storms, earthquakes, landslides, flooding, and droughts mainly affect small farmers. Environmental problems in the areas of deforestation, water supply, soil erosion take place in damaging the Dominican Republic's landscape. This has led to lower rural incomes levels, increased poverty, and reduced economic growth and competitiveness. These environmental problems also directly affects the aquaculture of this country. When soil erosion occurs and enters the sea, it damages the nation's coral reefs, which also affects the sea animals such as fish. Because of the commercial agriculture that takes place here, over 20,000 hectares of forest lands are removed per year. The removal of trees was prohibited in 1967 to remedy the ill effects of indiscriminate cutting by commercial producers and farmers and the destruction by fire of large strands of timber. However, many farmers continue to cut down trees to make land more available for cultivation. The Dominican Republic irrigates their farms using modern irrigation methods.
Animal Production
Cattle, pork, goat, pig and chicken are some of the major animals that are produced for food in the DR. Most of these foods are commonly found in many of their dishes. Poultry is the main meat source because it is cheaper than beef or pork. Poultry production relies heavily on imports of feed grain from the United States. The Dominican Republic is also known for their vast amount of sea life. Because of the Dominican Republic's coastal location, they have access to fish such as octopus, crab, lobster, grouper, shrimp, codfish, and red snapper.
Location of Farms
The fertile Cibao Valley is the main agricultural center in the Dominican Republic. The Cibao Valley is the most densely settled region. Almost 30% of the total land area is suitable for crop production. In 1998, the amount of arable land totaled to 2,500,000 acres. Some of the chief crops produced in Cibao Valley include tobacco, coffee, and cacao.
Globalization
The top three agricultural exports of the Dominican Republic are sugar, coffee, and tobacco, generating over 60 percent of total exports in 2001. 62.7 percent of the Dominican Republic's exports go North American countries and 15.1 percent are sold to importers in Latin America including the Caribbean. Its top three agricultural imports include dairy products, soybean oil, and poultry products. These products mainly come from the United States.