Dominican pork production set to rise, but imports still essential, warns Agriculture Minister

Santo Domingo.- Domestic pork output in the Dominican Republic is expected to climb by 6%–8% this year, offering a promising boost ahead of the holiday season. However, this improvement doesn’t eliminate the need for imports, Agriculture Minister Limber Cruz cautioned, particularly given ongoing challenges related to African swine fever (ASF).

Speaking just two weeks before Christmas, Cruz emphasized that while staple food supplies like chicken, rice, and potatoes are stable, pork production alone won’t meet local demand. Historically, the country’s farms have only supplied around 70% of pork consumption, meaning imports, mostly under the DR‑CAFTA agreement, remain critical this season.

These imports are no small expense. Fedoporc president Miguel Ángel Olivo reports that the country will spend over USD 300 million to bring in pork, mostly from the United States. Before ASF, local slaughterhouses processed between 100,000–110,000 pigs per month, now that figure has plummeted to around 35,000, according to Olivo.

Still, the rise in production offers a silver lining for small-scale farmers who supply the smaller “Christmas roast” pigs beloved by Dominican families. Olivo noted confidently that there should be no shortages of these seasonal favorites thanks to strong performance from small producers of piglets.

To fortify the industry, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Banco Agrícola have launched the Porcine Biosafety Investment Fund. This USD 10 million initiative —equally co-funded by the U.S. USDA’s APHIS— will provide targeted loans to farms meeting stricter biosecurity standards. The aim: to reduce disease spread and stabilize long-term domestic production.