DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

The Ministry of Agriculture launched the “Siembra Tamarindo” (Plant Tamarind) Program on Tuesday, 5 May 2026, an initiative designed to transform the border province of Elias Piña into a strategic hub for agro-industrial production and development. The project aims to leverage the region’s semi-arid climate, which is ideal for the resilient Tamarindus indica tree, to create a sustainable economic pillar near the Haitian border.

The event was led by Agriculture Minister Francisco Oliverio Espaillat Bencosme at the Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Polytechnic. Held during National Tree Day celebrations, the launch is a central component of the broader “Elías Piña: Tamarind Province” project. This initiative seeks to diversify the local economy, which has traditionally relied on subsistence farming and cross-border trade.

Minister Espaillat emphasized that...