Haiti’s ministers of Foreign Relations and Agriculture, Richard Pierre Casimir and Joanas Gue are visiting Santo Domingo today, Monday 17 June to meet Dominican government officials and discuss the impasse that has come about as a result of Haiti’s ban on the import of Dominican poultry products. The Haitian government insists on maintaining the ban on egg, poultry and other meat imports without justification.
Meanwhile, traders in Dajabon are reiterating their call for a boycott and stoppage of the bilateral market in the border town. Foreign Relations Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso says he is confident that this meeting will lead to some conclusions and concrete solutions that will benefit trade between both countries. The Haitian ministers, who will be accompanied by a technical team, will be received at the Dominican Foreign Ministry.
Today, Monday 17 June traders staged a strike on market day in Dajabon in protest at the Haitian government decision that affects vendors in the Dominican Republic and consumers in Haiti. Freddy Morillo, president of the United Traders Federation that represents traders in border towns, said that other border markets would be also closed until the Haitian government reconsiders. Thousands of Haitians make a living purchasing goods in the Dominican markets for resale in Haiti.
US-imported poultry and eggs are sold for higher prices in the Haitian markets.
The Medina administration is also making efforts to sell the products to Venezuela, given the seasonal volatility of the Haitian market.
Adriano Miguel Tejada of Diario Libre reports on revelations in the Haitian publication Le Nouvelliste suggesting that a Haitian attempt to protect local production could be behind the ban on poultry and egg imports.
www.diariolibre.com/noticias/2013/06/17/i388733_huelga-afecta-mercado-binacional-dejabon.html
www.diariolibre.com/opinion/2013/06/17/i388696_plan-real-haiti.html