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The Venezuelan private sector supports biotechnology use and application. Nevertheless, the Venezuelan authority maintains a ban on the domestic use and research of modern biotechnology-derived agriculture.

Agricultural biotechnology constitutes an opportunity for U.S. suppliers, as non-governmental and governmental organizations have encouraged its integration into the Haitian economy in recent years.

Access to the benefits of modern agricultural biotechnology in the Caribbean Basin remains stifled by the unfinished work of implementing a science-based, risk-management approach to regulate its use.

FAS estimates Venezuela corn production at 1.36 million metric tons for the new market year (MY) 2024/2025 on a planted area of 350,000 hectares. Significant economic uncertainty persists following the July 28, 2024, presidential election, and higher inflation and a scarcity of U.S. dollars will likely inhibit increased corn acreage and limit yields.

Since 2014, Venezuela’s total meat consumption has declined 57 percent due to prolonged economic downfall. Nevertheless, since 2019, an improved economic environment has led to stabilized beef production and significant growth in the poultry sector. In 2024, total per capita meat consumption is forecast to be 32.4 kilograms, growing 83 percent from its 2018 record low.

In the Caribbean region, sales value in the retail grocery sector increased by 3 percent in 2023. This is due in part to the rise in tourism in many markets, which is boosting economic growth. The largest grocery retail markets are Trinidad and Tobago, Guadeloupe, and the Bahamas.

This report outlines market conditions and opportunities for U.S. agricultural exports to expand or enter the Venezuelan market. While the economy stagnated in 2023, Venezuela is the sixth largest South American destination for U.S. agricultural and related product exports.

Mr. Vernet Joseph, a former senior-level official with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of the Environment, was appointed on June 13, 2024, as head of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Rural Development in Haiti.

As tourists flock back to the Caribbean in larger numbers and island economies regain their footing after being challenged by global inflation, competition, and other headwinds, opportunities for U.S. suppliers are slowly emerging. While hurdles remain present on the horizon, U.S. suppliers are finding resilient Caribbean buyers to be excellent partners on the road to commercial success.

In calendar year 2023, Venezuelan agricultural imports dropped 8 percent year-on-year to $2.7 billion. By volume, however, agricultural imports increased 4 percent year-on-year owing to a decrease in import prices. Agricultural imports from the United States totaled $675 million, down 9 percent from 2022.

This report describes the major export certificates required by the Government of Haiti for imports of food and agricultural products. The following sections of this report indicate the certificates required for each category of products, including their purpose, the requesting ministry, and their outlines.

This report is an overview of general legal and technical requirements imposed by the Government of Haiti for food and agricultural imports. The following sections of this report summarize the major requirements for: Food Laws; Labeling; Packaging and Containers; Food Additive Regulations...