Dominican coffee harvest at risk amid severe labor shortage

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic is facing the risk of losing its most promising coffee harvest in a decade due to a severe labor shortage, threatening over RD$6 billion in potential income for coffee-producing families. Farmers project more than 300,000 quintals of production this year—the highest since 2013—at a time when international coffee prices have reached historic highs, with a quintal selling for RD$21,500.

In the southern region alone, producers expect over 120,000 quintals, but many fear the crop could spoil because there aren’t enough workers to pick it. Farmers note that while local labor is scarce, restrictions on Haitian workers—traditionally key to the harvest—have left them without alternatives. Heavy rains in October are accelerating grain ripening, worsening the urgency.

Producers accuse authorities of inaction, pointing out that neither the Dominican Coffee Institute (INDOCAFE) nor the Ministry of Agriculture have implemented contingency measures. “Every pound of coffee that falls to the ground represents 21 pesos lost forever,” one grower lamented, warning that without immediate intervention, a golden opportunity for rural communities could turn into an economic disaster.