Agriculture Minister Amilcar Romero has banned the importation of porcine products. He signed the decree as a final act before taking a leave to participate in the national political campaign. Romero is the vice-presidential candidate of the ruling PLD party. Over-production of hogs has flooded the Dominican market with inexpensive pork and has brought producers to near bankruptcy As prices have plunged. Optimistic, if decidedly unmeasured, ideas about the local market sprang up in the wake of Hurricane Georges which severely hurt pig farming. Garlic from abroad, however, continues to pour in, to the chagrin of local distributors. So says Apolinar Leiva Javier, President of the National Small Business Federation (FRENAPECO), who condemned the government for not protecting garlic farmers. Javier noted that a ship laden with garlic from abroad is waiting to be unloaded at the Haina pier, while the garlic harvest is in full swing in the cool elevations of the Valley of Constanza. According to Javier, Dominican garlic is of excellent quality, and can be bought right now in markets at around DR$14 (US$0.87) per pound. But today’s Listen Diario quotes the head of the Constanza garlic producers association as saying that "there’s something else behind" the claim that imports are damaging local producers. Robustiano Leira affirmed that its advocates simply want to discredit Amilcar Romero, who "has stood beside us and helped us." Leira affirmed that the present political contest won’t damage the spirit of "brotherhood and understanding" that has existed between garlic producers and the "fine stewardship" that Romero has shown as Agriculture Minister.
