Spanish
The Dominican Government, through the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and SMEs (MICM), signed an agreement with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) so that Dominican products such as avocado and mango can be placed in the Italian market through the international fair Macfrut 2026, which will be held from April 21 to 23, 2026 in Rimini, Italy.
The agreement responds to the vision of transforming the agribusiness into a source of foreign currency for the country.
The initiative seeks to attract foreign capital, technology transfer to the value chain, and direct access to major global buyers to ensure that Dominican producers have intermediary-free access to one of the world's most important markets.
The agreement was signed by the Minister of Industry, Commerce and SMEs, Yayo Sanz Lovatón; Patricia Jiménez Beato, coordinator of Public-Private Partnerships and Resource Mobilization of FAO in the Dominican Republic; and Enrico Turroni, vice president and head of External Relations of MACFRUT.
During his presentation, Minister Sanz Lovatón highlighted that this agreement places the Dominican Republic in an advantageous position to promote its agro-industry to the world. He pointed out that the signing materializes one of the government's economic pillars: to make the agricultural sector a massive generator of jobs and foreign currency. As he detailed, the strategy focuses on strengthening the value chain through the provision of technical inputs, the increase of foreign investment, and the facilitation of productive credit.
On her part, Patricia Jiménez, commented that "this agreement seeks to continue strengthening the agro-industry and its link to gastronomy, now with the incorporation of MACFRUT, this step becomes a powerful accelerator to transform international opportunities and innovation into rural well-being and increased competitiveness in the Dominican Republic."
Likewise, Enrico Turroni explained that "MACFRUT is a friend of the Dominican Republic and is a fair in which they can offer their products not only to Italians, but to the entire European market and other countries". "Having the Dominican Republic at the fair is a pleasure for us, we are at your disposal to grow together. We hope to see many Dominicans in April at the fair".
The event was attended by Rodolfo Colaci, extraordinary and plenipotentiary vice-ambassador of the Italian Republic in the Dominican Republic; as well as His Excellency Mr. Rafael Lantigua, extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of the Dominican Republic to the Italian Republic. Likewise, Her Excellency Mrs. Ada Hernández, ambassador and permanent representative of the Dominican Republic to the FAO in Rome, participated, reinforcing the diplomatic and multilateral character of this initiative.
About the agreement
The agreement establishes the creation of the Dominican Pavilion at MACFRUT, conceived not only as a commercial showcase, but also as a center for intelligence and technological transfer for the national agro-industry. This platform is reinforced through high-level academic alliances with institutions such as the University of Bologna, ensuring that access to European markets is accompanied by the productive modernization and innovation that the sector needs to compete globally. For the 43rd edition in April 2026, the strategy will place mango and avocado as absolute protagonists, capitalizing on the historical milestone of the first designation of origin for avocado in America, achieved under the management of the MICM. This quality and origin distinction will serve as an anchor for a high-profile business and technical events agenda, consolidating an exportable offer with territorial identity, greater added value, and direct connection with global value chains.
