Farmers promote agritourism as a tool for agricultural development

Apitourism in Yauco has been offering educational experiences related to bees and honey production for six years.

By The Star Staff

Puerto Rican farmers highlighted Tuesday how agritourism boosts their farms, diversifies their income and educates about agriculture, in the run-up to the Agrohack Conference & Expo 2025 agricultural summit, which will be held this Saturday at the Convention Center.

“With agrotourism, we show the public that agriculture is possible in Puerto Rico and that it is a decent way of life with continuous planting,” agronomist Fernando Manuel Machado said in a written statement.

Machado, who grows bananas, pineapples and vegetables at Finca Don Manuel in Santa Isabel, will share his experience as a panelist at the conference “Turn Your Farm into an Agrotourism Destination,” along with two other speakers and the Tourism Company. The event will feature more than 100 experts and over 1,400 attendees.

The Tourism Company currently sponsors 43 agrotourism projects in some 30 municipalities as part of its Sustainable Tourism Program, which includes visits to vegetable farms, fruit orchards and coffee plantations, as well as tours of aquaculture, beekeeping, animal husbandry and hydroponics operations, and processing plants.

Agritourism and agrotourism are essentially interchangeable terms.

Another speaker will be Ricardo Caraballo Padilla, CEO of Apitourism in Yauco, who has been conducting educational tours about bees and honey production for six years. Caraballo is currently building eight tourist villages and plans to export products such as beeswax, pollen, royal jelly, and honey to Orlando, Florida and New York.

Efrén Robles, from the Frutos del Guacabo farm in Manatí, said he has integrated culinary agriculture as part of his tourism offering, with chef-prepared lunches, cultural activities, and agricultural workshops. Robles said 30% of the farm’s agricultural operations involve agritourism.

Machado added that the agritourism tours have generated commercial interest from restaurants and companies that visit the farms, opening up opportunities to export products to neighboring Caribbean islands, taking advantage of the proximity and quality of local crops.

Caraballo pointed out that domestic tourism represents their largest clientele, although they have also managed to attract international tourists and Puerto Ricans residing outside the island to their brand, helping to position it in foreign markets.

Robles emphasized that agritourism allows young farmers to promote the science behind agriculture, diversify crops, and encourage healthier eating. He stated that the education provided on the tours helps them better understand the value of locally grown products.