The agricultural sector of the Dominican Republic is getting ready to face the challenges of the DR-CAFTA agreement. Minister Amilcar Romero and deputy minister Luis Ramon Rodriguez are preparing the changes needed to protect farmers as well as get their products to overseas markets. The internal restructuring of the Ministry of Agriculture has resulted in the setting up of a new office to oversee the treaties that affect the trade in agricultural products. Among the briefs charged to the new office (OTCA) are to create contingency plans and safeguards for Dominican agricultural products. According to Hoy, they must also resolve controversies and protect intellectual property, and create the necessary mechanisms to protect the hygiene of exportable agriculture products. The contingency and safeguard officials are those that will be negotiating with the United States. They will follow up on the package of protected items under the DR-CAFTA agreement, working with the World Trade Organization (WTO) to protect basic products such as garlic, rice, onions, beans, milk, sugar, chicken and corn. A second brief is to watch out for the 22 items that have been selected under the preferential list to be safeguarded under DR-CAFTA. One of the important points is that this unit will be responsible for informing the public about public tenders for importing products on the list when local supplies dwindle.