Spokespeople for farmers in the Cibao Valley fear the disappearance of Dominican crops such as rice, and pork and poultry production, as the grace period granted to local producers under the US and Central American free trade agreement (DR-CAFTA) comes to an end. Approximately 50% of the economically active population in the Cibao Valley is employed in the farming sector.
The National Confederation of Farmers and members of the Association of Small Poultry Producers from Moca and Licey expressed their concerns to Dominican legislators and those of the Central American Parliament that attended the meeting, as reported in Diario Libre.
The Cibao region produces some 70% of the nation’s rice and more than 90% of eggs and pork products.
Miguelina Alba, a spokesperson for the poultry producers, noted that more than 60% of the national poultry production is concentrated in the Cibao. The farmers and the legislators agreed to a work plan that will propose revisions of certain clauses in DR-CAFTA.
Farmers say they cannot compete with the prices of imports given the farm subsidies provided by the US government to their producers.
6 April 2017
