Tobacco sector generates more than 110,800 jobs in the Dominican Republic

Of the 15 products leading the Dominican Republic’s total exports during 2021, tobacco (or cigars) ranks second, trailing only gold, according to data published by the Dominican Republic’s Export and Investment Center (ProDominicana).

Total exports reached US$3,745.34 million in the first four months of 2021, of which US$344.48 million corresponds to tobacco or cigars.

Exports are led by gold (US$573.27 million), “cigar” cigars (US$344.48 million), circuit breakers (257.31 million), medical, surgical or veterinary instruments and apparatus (US$243.80 million), jewelry articles and parts thereof, of precious metals other than silver…. (US$152.03 million), among others.

ProDominicana data explains that the United States leads the destination markets for Dominican exports with US$1,907.10 million in the first four months of 2021, for 50.92 %; followed by Switzerland with US$299.26 million, for 7.99 %; Haiti ranks third with US$297. 93 million, with 7.95 % of total exports; India receives 7.66 % of total Dominican exports, after reaching US$287.05 million; India is followed by Puerto Rico, Netherlands, China, Germany, Italy, Belgium, United Kingdom, among others.

The United States, as the Dominican Republic’s first trading partner, receives cigars, including blunts and cigarillos containing tobacco; circuit breakers for a voltage less than, greater than or equal to 1,000 volts; articles of jewelry and parts thereof of precious metals other than silver, including precious metal cladding or plating.

In addition, the United States receives medical, surgical, or veterinary instruments and apparatus; gold, including platinum-plated gold, semi-wired for non-monetary use; T-shirts and T-shirts, knitted, of cotton; cane sugar, in solid form, without the addition of flavoring or coloring, obtained without centrifuging, with a sucrose content of 69 to 93 degrees, containing only natural anhedral microcrystals, among other products.

On the subject of tobacco, the Tobacco Institute of the Dominican Republic (Intabaco) informed Diario Libre that 4,286 producers distributed in 13 provinces of the country participated in the 2020 harvest. These provinces are, in hierarchical order by area planted: Santiago, Valverde, Monte Cristi, Espaillat, Azua, La Vega, Santiago Rodríguez, Monseñor Nouel, Puerto Plata, Sánchez Ramírez, Monte Plata and San Juan and Elías Piña.

In addition, until 2020, the jobs generated in the tobacco sector, 61,853 are in farms, 49,029 processing employees in factories, for 110,882 jobs.

Intabaco indicated that for the 2021 tobacco harvest, it is in the process of planting and harvesting with a program of 104,827 tasks in the areas or provinces selected for the planting of tobacco in its different varieties with the participation of 3,500 producers nationwide.

The existing varieties in the country are havanensis, olor, criollo, andullo, and wrapper tobacco. Of the programmed tasks for the 2021 harvest, 51.45% belong to the Havanensis variety with 53,932 tasks sown; olor 19,279 tasks planted for 18.39%; 14,507 tasks sown of the Criollo variety, for the participation of 13.84%; of the andullo tobacco, there are 12,780 programmed tasks, for 12.19% and of the tobacco for wrapper variety 4,329 tasks, for 4.13%.