Espaillat Province
24% of national plantain output; key organic cocoa province with Valrhona Fairtrade partnerships (2024); RD$2B highway investment.
Moca earned its nickname 'La Villa Heroica' for the independence fighters it produced, but the province's economic identity centers on agriculture rather than war. The fertile alluvial soils of the Cibao Valley, nourished by the Yuna River, support diversified smallholder farming that dates to colonial times. Moca's municipality alone accounts for 24% of national plantain output, while cocoa cooperatives have made Espaillat a key node in the DR's organic export network.
In March 2024, President Abinader inaugurated a 40-kilometer highway connecting Moca to Jamao al Norte and Sabaneta de Yásica—a RD$2 billion investment to improve agricultural logistics. Valrhona signed a 100% Fairtrade contract with local cooperatives in 2024, channeling premium prices to smallholders practicing sustainable agroforestry. Beyond cacao, the province produces cassava, coffee, and integrates poultry and swine production into farming systems that resist monoculture risk.
By 2026, Espaillat will test whether premium agricultural partnerships can spread prosperity across smallholder communities. The Fairtrade and organic certifications command price premiums, but certification costs and compliance burden fall disproportionately on smaller producers. If cooperative structures strengthen and infrastructure investment improves market access, Espaillat could demonstrate how peasant agriculture generates middle-class incomes. If premiums concentrate at the export level without reaching farmers, the hero village may produce cocoa for foreign chocolatiers while its farmers stay poor.