Between June 2023 and August 2024, Cuba has imported eggs from the Dominican Republic totaling $6,726,483.6. This move was driven by the pressing need to compensate for the severe shortage in domestic production caused by the country's deep agricultural crisis, particularly in the poultry sector, which has been hampered by a lack of supplies and resources.
Gregory Marte, the executive director of the Dominican Association of Poultry Producers (ADA), told the news outlet Diario Libre that the Cuban market has seen a significant increase in egg demand due to Cuba's internal struggles to maintain its own production. Marte mentioned that Dominican companies have been working to overcome the logistical challenges of exporting to the island, though maritime shipping issues remain a major hurdle.
Export Surge Driven by Regional Dynamics
The rise in egg exports to Cuba was also influenced by the temporary closure of the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. This situation pushed Dominican producers to seek new markets and redirect their surplus production to Cuba, which quickly became a viable outlet. Despite the partial reopening of the border, exports to Cuba continued to climb, with a substantial shipment in October 2023 valued at $471,660, far exceeding the initial import of $42,767 in June.
This growth has been facilitated by the certification of three Dominican companies—Grupo Don Julio, Endy Agroindustrial, and Agropecuaria Wilse—for the sale of poultry products to Cuba, ensuring a steady flow of exports, according to Diario Libre.
Continued Growth and Future Prospects
By August 2024, the value of egg shipments to Cuba had surpassed $1.95 million, and both Dominican authorities and poultry producers are optimistic that this market will continue to expand as logistical conditions improve and commercial ties between the two nations strengthen. A source from the Dominican poultry sector, cited by Diario Libre, noted that Cuban demand has been so strong that one company shipped nearly a million eggs to Cuba in just one week.
In 2020, Cuba produced around five million eggs, but by 2023, that number had plummeted to just 2.2 million, according to the Cuban Ministry of Agriculture. Despite emergency measures, such as ramping up quail egg production, the national output has continued to decline. For instance, severe feed shortages forced poultry farmers in Holguín to cull approximately 54,000 laying hens in June.
Seeking Solutions Abroad
This dire situation has compelled Cuba to look for solutions abroad, not only from the Dominican Republic but also Colombia, from where they expect to import up to 40 million eggs by the end of 2024. Cuba isn't limiting its imports to these two countries; early in 2024, CNN correspondent in Cuba Patrick Oppmann reported finding eggs from the United States available in a Cuban store.
Internally, the crisis has led to a spike in egg consumption as the high prices of red meat have driven many Cubans to rely more on eggs for protein. However, this increased demand has also caused the price of a carton of eggs to soar to 5,000 pesos in recent months.