**Table III.8  Shares of Farm Sizes and Land Areas by Elevation**

|**Grou**<br>**Hectares**|**pings**<br>**Tareas**|**>900 M**<br>**Share of**<br>**Farmers**|**SNM**<br> <br>**Share of**<br>**Land**|**500-900 M**<br>**Share of**<br>**Farmers**|**SNM**<br>**Share**<br>**of Land**<br> <br>|**<500 MS**<br>**Share of**<br>**Farmers**|**NM**<br>**Share**<br>**of**<br>**Land**<br> <br>|**To**<br>**Share of**<br>**Farmers**|**tal**<br>**Share of**<br>**Land**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**0– 0.6**|**1-9 **|3.6%|0.5%|8.0%|1.0%|4.4%|0.3%|15.9%|1.8%|
|**0.6- 1.2**|**10-19**|4.6%|1.7%|10.2%|3.2%|5.6%|1.1%|20.5%|6.0%|
|**1.3- 3.1**|**20-49**|7.8%|6.9%|17.2%|13.0%|9.5%|4.3%|34.5%|24.3%|
|**3.1- 6.2**|**50-99**|4.7%|8.8%|10.4%|1.6%|5.7%|5.6%|20.8%|31.0%|
|**6.3- 12.5**|**100-199**|1.4%|4.8%|3.0%|9.1%|1.7%|3.0%|6.1%|17.0%|
|**12.6- 18.8**|**200-299**|0.3%|1.9%|0.6%|3.5%|0.4%|1.2%|1.3%|6.5%|
|**> 18.8**|**>300**|0.2%|3.7%|0.5%|7.1%|0.3%|2.5%|0.9%|13.4%|
|**TOTAL**||**22.7%**|**28.3%**|**49.9%**|**53.6% **|**27.4%**|**18.0%**|**100%**|**100%**|

Source: Inventario Nacional de Caficultores Resultados, Consejo Dominicano Del Café, Republica Dominicana 2002

# **D.2 Cultivation Practices and Technology**

Coffee producers in the Dominican Republic use heterogeneous cultivation practices and technologies. Harvest and post-harvest technologies also vary by type of producer. Traditional coffee growing is characterized by low levels of technology and low productivity with the traditional _tipica_ variety. Traditional coffee production systems usually include shade trees and inter-cropping. Cultural practices are limited to weed control and occasional fertilization. Young trees are not shaped by pruning and production pruning is limited to clearing branches when the plantation is too thick. Many coffee plantations are old, with varying plant density, no planting pattern, and often excessive shade. The excess shade occurs because it is difficult to prune the tall Erythrina trees that predominate. Use of fertilizers and pesticides is predominantly limited to larger producers. About 75% of land used for coffee production uses “traditional” low-input and low productivity technologies, shade grown, and produced with household labor (see table III.9). Much of this coffee production is located in marginal zones, but some is located in areas with good/excellent potential. With about 75% of coffee area, producers using traditional cultivation practices produce only an estimated 30% of total national coffee output.

Another 15% of land in coffee production uses “moderate technology” and management. Moderate technology implies use of improved varieties (mixed), pruning and weeding, fertilizer, agri-chemicals, shade grown, mostly household labor, and some seasonal labor. This grouping accounts for about 20% of production, and includes many of the coffee producers who are members of coffee producer associations. Finally, about 8% of land uses “technified” methods and business type management and produces about 50% of the coffee. Producers use intensive cultivation, often with minimal or no shade, with fertilizers, agri-chemicals, and good postharvest practices. “Technified” coffee production has a relatively high reliance on hired labor.

# _Coffee Production and Household Income_

As discussed previously, a large proportion of coffee producers inter-plant coffee trees with other trees or crops. This diversity within the coffee plantation allows for a diversification of incomes sources, which can potentially lead to better management of labor and cash flows, and improve the management of risks due to fluctuating coffee prices or yields. Since a high percentage of 37