 The Beginning |
The Dominican Coffee Council, created by Law 79-00 passed by the Executive Power on September 25, 2000, is a public institution of an autonomous, mixed and decentralized character. Its main goal is the design, planning and implementation of the national coffee policy.
It began its operations on the first of January 2001 as an institution in the service of the Dominican coffee sector, with sights on the improvement and development of coffee agriculture.
| Coffee in the Dominican Republic |
 Origin |
This drink of a tonic nature, enjoyed and appreciated by everyone, presumably entered the Dominican Republic from Haiti in 1735.
| Geographic Distribution |
There are approximately 2.2 million coffee shares (137,500 hec.) planted in the country, located in 26 provinces and 45 municipalities.
The main coffee producing areas are located in the four main mountain regions, the Bahoruco Sierra, the Neyba Sierra, the Central Mountain Range and the Northern Mountain Range.
Domestic consumption of the exporter countries From 1994/95 to 1999/2000
| Classification of the crop zones |
The Dominican Republic registers three production zones that correspond top the following conditions:
Marginal Areas
Those areas that do not gather the necessary conditions of soil, temperature and rainfall for positive development of the crop. These plantations are located in zones with altitudes lower than 500 meters above sea level (North Region) and 600 meters above sea level (South Region), offering the highest temperatures, greater then 23 degrees C.
Adequate Areas
Fulfill the following conditions:
· Altitude of 600 to 800 meters above sea level with temperature between 17-23 degrees C.
· Rainfall of 1,500 mm3/year (evenly distributed)
· Favorable soil.
Optimum Areas
Fulfill the following conditions:
· Altitude: 800-1,300 metes above sea level, at times reaching up to 1,500 meters above sea level
· Rainfall: 1,500 to 2,000 mm3 (evenly distributed)
· Soil: excellent
Production, Exportation and US $ value of Dominican coffee From 1990/91 to 1999/20000
 |
| Cultivated commercial varieties |
· Typical
·"Caturra"
·"Catuaí"
· Others
| Commercial activity |
The internal coffee consumption in the Dominican Republic represents an amount greater than 400,000 quintals per year. Our country exports 500,000 quintals per year, as an average of the last ten years, commercializing it in 30 countries throughout the world, with the United States as the main buyer.
The revenues of foreign currencies due to coffee exportation averaged US$50 million in the last 10 years.
National coffee activity generates some 600 thousand jobs either directly or indirectly, and in this way contributing in shrinking the permanent exodus of inhabitants from the rural areas towards the main cities in the country.
| Coffee crops towards a new century |
The Dominican Republic, due to its conditions of soil, altitude, climate and the predominance of a coffee variety (such as the Typical) that enjoys great preference in the growing markets of quality coffees, is the ideal stage for the Dominican Coffee Council to direct coffee agriculture towards the production and commercialization of special coffees, and placing greater emphasis on gourmet coffees (of superior quality) and organic coffees.
| Dominican Coffee Council: Objectives and Functions |
| At the national level |
a. Promote the development of Dominican coffee agriculture
b. Design, plan and implement national policy
c. Obtain the endowment of physical and social infrastructure
d. Contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of coffee producing families
e. Support coffee diversification processes
f. Identify financial sources
g. Develop an efficient program of technological transfer
h. Propose the issue and priorities of coffee investigations
i. Promote the development of special coffee production projects
j. Negotiate the construction, reconstruction and maintenance of works in coffee producing zones
k. Establish agreements with institutions
l. Carry out investments
m. Provide incentives and support the institutional strengthening of production associations
n. Administer the resources of Dominican Coffee Council Fund
o. Establish and maintain a national and international data and statistics system
p. Complete all dispositions, laws, decrees, norms and resolutions relative to coffee activities
| At the international level |
a. Represent the interests of the Dominican Republic
b. Maintain cooperative relationships with similar organisms
c. Promote, negotiate and develop financial and technical cooperation
d. Carry out international cooperative agreements regarding coffee involving the country
e. Follow the activities of the worldwide coffee industry and it agents and producing countries
f. Promote at a national and international level the image and the consumption of Dominican coffee.
| Organization and Administration |
Article 5. Direction and administration of the Dominican Coffee Council are:
a. The Board of Directors
b. The Executive Director |
