Enrique Martinez, the director general of the State Sugar Board (CEA)
said that there is not enough sugar cane fields available to supply
all the ethanol projects currently under study. According to the El
Caribe, Martinez said that “there are a lot of people talking about
ethanol, but they are totally lacking in knowledge as to the
availability of land to produce it.” However, the opposite point of
view has been taken by the Dominican Agro-Business Board (JAD) that is
estimating that within two years ethanol production will increase
sugar cane acreage by one million tareas (equivalent to 166,000 acres)
without diminishing local sugar production. Nonetheless, Martinez said
that he doubted that a private consortium could obtain so much land
for the production of ethanol. He did say, however, that by joining
all of the lands of the Sabana del Guabaquico, plus the lands of the
old River Haina Sugar Mill in Monte Plata province, and some other
lands, it would be possible to establish a new sugar mill for ethanol.
He insisted that the projects involving the Boca Chica Sugar Mill and
the new investors that would operate the Consuelo, Quisqueya, Porvenir
and Santa Fe mills are based upon unrealistic estimates.