Agriculture in Puerto Rico

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The agriculture industry in Puerto Rico constitutes over $800 million or about 0.69% of the island's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020.[1][2][3] Currently the sector accounts for 15% of the food consumed locally.[4] Experts from the University of Puerto Rico argued that these crops could cover approximately 30% of the local demand, particularly that of smaller vegetables such as tomatoes, lettuce, etc. and several kinds of tubers that are currently being imported. The existence of a thriving agricultural economy has been prevented due to a shift in priorities towards industrialization, bureaucratization, mismanagement of terrains, lack of alternative methods and a deficient workforce. Its geographical location within the Caribbean exacerbates these issues, making the scarce existing crops propense to the devastating effects of Atlantic hurricanes.

  1. ^ "Puerto Rico Fact Sheet per December 2013" (PDF). gdb-pur.com. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  2. ^ "Puerto Rico - GDP distribution across economic sectors 2020". Statista. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
  3. ^ Ramos Segarra, Christian (2021-04-26). "Con alto potencial la industria del cáñamo" [Hemp industry has high potential]. El Vocero. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
  4. ^ Salamány, Tatiana Díaz RamosyAdriana De Jesús (2020-05-21). "Múltiples los retos de la agricultura para alimentar en tiempos de crisis" [Multiple challenges of the agriculture sector to feed (the people) in times of crisis]. Centro de Periodismo Investigativo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-03-18.