SANTO DOMINGO – The Dominican Republics’s banana farmers have reported that they have experienced a 25% increase in exports to the European continent for the first 6 months of 2010. In 2009 over 280,000 tonnes of the fruit was exported to Europe alone and they expect this figure to top in excess of 300,000 by the end of 2010.

Banana production is now one of the Dominican Republic´s leading "agribusinesses" and for the Northwest area alone employs more than 15,000 people. Luis Bonilla, a producer of bananas for more nearly 2 decades reckons that the DR will make around US$160million by the end of 2010 in banana production and exportation. He reported that with more than 350 boxes being exported each week that times have never been better for banana growers