Alianza estratégica impulsa agroindustria dominicana
By ESENDOM
January 28, 2026
Lea en español: Mango y aguacate dominicanos abren mercado permanente en Italia
Key points
An alliance between MICM, FAO, and Macfrut will boost exports and agro-industrial modernization.
Italy is positioning itself as a gateway to the European market.
Mango and avocado anchor a strategy focused on value-added production and origin branding.
A “Dominican Pavilion” will be created as a commercial and technology platform.
Santo Domingo — Dominican mango and avocado are at the center of a new international expansion strategy aimed at the European market. The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs (MICM) signed a strategic alliance with the FAO and Macfrut to establish a permanent commercial channel with Italy and strengthen agro-industry as a generator of foreign currency, jobs, and technology transfer.
The agreement was signed by Minister Víctor “Yayo” Sanz Lovatón; Patricia Jiménez Beato, FAO coordinator for Public-Private Partnerships and Resource Mobilization in the Dominican Republic; and Enrico Turroni, vice president and head of External Relations at Macfrut. The initiative aims to scale Dominican agricultural production beyond primary exports and into higher value-added supply chains.
At the event, Sanz Lovatón said the alliance “puts the Dominican Republic in an advantageous position to project its agro-industry to the world,” noting that the government is betting on agriculture as a sustained engine for jobs and foreign exchange. The strategy includes strengthening the value chain, providing technical inputs, attracting foreign investment, and improving access to productive credit.
Patricia Jiménez said the agreement “seeks to keep strengthening agro-industry and its link to gastronomy,” adding that Macfrut’s involvement acts as an accelerator to translate international opportunities and innovation into rural well-being and productivity. Enrico Turroni stated that “Macfrut is a friend of the Dominican Republic,” and that the trade fair will serve as a platform not only to reach Italian consumers, but the broader European market and other strategic destinations.
The diplomatic component reinforced the scope of the agreement, with the presence of Italian Deputy Ambassador Rodolfo Colaci; the Dominican ambassador to Italy, Rafael Lantigua; and Ada Hernández, ambassador and permanent representative of the Dominican Republic to the FAO in Rome.
A Pavilion to Compete in Europe
The agreement establishes the creation of a Dominican Pavilion at Macfrut, designed as both a commercial showcase and an intelligence hub for the national agro-industry. The platform will integrate technology transfer, academic partnerships—including the University of Bologna—and training, ensuring that access to European markets is paired with productive modernization and innovation.
Looking ahead to the 43rd edition of Macfrut in April 2026, mango and avocado will take center stage. The strategy builds on a historic milestone: the first avocado denomination of origin in the Americas, achieved under MICM’s leadership. That distinction will serve as an anchor for a high-level business agenda and technical events, consolidating an export offering with territorial identity and higher value.
The Dominican bet is clear: move from selling fruit to positioning country brands backed by technology, traceability, and origin—using mango and avocado as the spearhead into Europe.
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