The fruit industry is just one sector on the Dominican Republic government's radar in plans to raise the economy's competitiveness, website ElNacional.com.do reported.

The announcement by Agricultural Minister Luis Ramón Rodríguez was made during a tour of an experimental fruit farm run by the Dominican Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Research (Idiaf).

The story reported that exotic fruits in particular were in focus.

"The Dominican Republic has all the space to grow, due to the high demand that these [exotic] products have in international markets," the story reported.

During the tour, the minister observed projects in development for various fruits, such as ponceré, guavas, dragonfruit and starfruit, among others.

"Through the Dominican Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Research (Idiaf), we are looking to raise the production and productivity of important fruits, improving their quality, optimizing profitability, and making them more competitive in local and international markets," Rodriguez told reporters in attendance.

The minister highlighted that the population was increasingly aware of the benefits of fruit consumption, which helped support the country's growers.

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