Agrohack 2025 event to spotlight booming agritourism industry
Farmers in Puerto Rico share experiences turning agriculture into business, tourism and education opportunities.
Puerto Rico’s agritourism sector will take center stage at the Agrohack Conference & Expo 2025, an agricultural summit set to take place May 10 at the Puerto Rico Convention Center.
The event, which will host more than 100 expert speakers in agribusiness and more than 1,400 attendees, will highlight the growing economic and educational impact of agritourism on the island.
Local farmers are increasingly launching successful agritourism projects to promote their products, educate the public and connect with potential business partners, organizers said.
“With agrotourism, we show the public that agriculture can be done in Puerto Rico, that it’s important, and that it’s a way of life that requires skills to do it with dignity,” said agronomist Fernando Manuel Machado, owner of Finca Don Manuel in Santa Isabel.
Machado’s 600-acre farm welcomes international visitors who tour his banana and pineapple plantations, enjoy farm-to-table meals and even participate in mofongo-making workshops.
“People come here from many countries,” he added.
A summit agritourism panel titled “Turn your farm into an agritourism destination: Stays, experiences and other ways to monetize land,” will showcase the experiences of local entrepreneurs who have turned their farms into thriving tourist attractions.
Ricardo Caraballo-Padilla, CEO of Apiturismo, has developed his farm Apidarios Caraballo into a destination for bee tourism. Visitors take guided tours to learn about honey production, and the business is expanding into a theme park with lodging.
“We’re the only ones dedicated to bees and will have a tourist circuit,” Caraballo said.
Efrén Robles, owner of Frutos del Guacabo in Manatí, has made agritourism a core part of his business through culinary agriculture. His farm offers interactive educational tours and farm-to-table meals prepared by Puerto Rican chefs for locals and international tourists.
“Agritourism is a solid tool for educating our people about agriculture,” Robles said. “We have a daily tour, with lunches and tapas prepared by our chefs, and we also include graphic artists and musicians in our events.”
The Puerto Rico Tourism Company currently promotes 43 agritourism projects across 30 municipalities, providing tourists with immersive experiences ranging from fruit and vegetable production to beekeeping, aquaculture and sustainable farming.
The agency’s Sustainable Tourism Program certifies these agritourism sites, ensuring quality and authenticity, Agrohack officials said.
Beyond its educational value, agritourism has become a profitable business model for many local farmers.
“We have some Caribbean islands half an hour away, and they source agricultural products from Central America,” said Machado. “They compete with us because we’re not yet fully prepared for export, but we can. If they come to our farm, that’s the best business opportunity.”
As Puerto Rico’s agricultural sector faces challenges such as high production costs and limited export capacity, agritourism offers farmers an alternative source of revenue and a way to build stronger ties to local and international markets.
