Buoyed by the prospect of selling livestock genetics, seed potatoes, food production consultancy services and education excellence from the UK to the Caribbean, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), of which HDC is a division, is to spearhead its first-ever high level agri-tech mission to the Dominican Republic.
Teaming up with government body UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), AHDB will be staging two agri-tech conferences later this month (23-24 October) in the Dominican capital Santo Domingo. The Dominican Republic, with its world class fruit production, has the largest economy in the Caribbean region.
With one conference focused on the country’s agricultural industries and a second targeted at government officials, presentations will be given on agri-technologies, livestock genetics, pig and dairy production, the meat chain, best practice in the food sector, potato technologies and agricultural education. Speakers will include representatives from the British Cattle Breeders’ Club, James Hutton Institute, Harper Adams University and Defra, as well as AHDB.
"The Dominican Republic has ambitious plans to develop its agricultural sector and has raised the finance needed to make these plans happen,” said AHDB export specialist Jean-Pierre Garnier, who is leading the mission.
“While fruit production is very strong, other sectors, such as dairy, pigs and potatoes are underperforming with productivity lagging well behind that achieved on British farms and exports remaining underdeveloped.
“The country has traditionally looked to the USA and Spain for expertise but is now clearly open to seeing what the UK has to offer. We’ll be taking an experienced, high class team of specialists with a view to developing collaborations in different sectors.”