Presidency Minister Gustavo Montalvo met late last week with members of the commission that coordinates the Plan for the Improvement and Management of the Yaque River Watershed (CRYN). The area in the past has suffered from flooding.
Montalvo reported that some 10,500 tareas (1 tarea = 629 square meters) in the watershed would be reforested with coffee, cacao and macadamia plants.
Together with this effort, the program calls for developing 400 agro-forest family-run systems for rural communities in the watershed. Montalvo also spoke about the construction of some small reservoirs and improvements in forage for cattle ranching in the area. He added funding would be provided by the government for improvements in infrastructure at dairy farms in the region in coordination with cattle ranching associations. In a visit to San Jose de las Matas in Santiago, he delivered a check for RD$14,132,426 to complete the construction of the Planta de Lácteos La Sierra, part of the government’s Sustainable Cattleranching Development Program underway jointly with the Plan Sierra.
During the visit to San Jose de las Matas, the Minister of the Presidency also visited the La Loma macadamia processing plant in Loma Bajita, Los Montones.
In addition to cash from the Presidency, the program also has resources from the French Development Agency for specific projects in the smaller watersheds of the Guayubin, Maguaca and Chacuey rivers.
Montalvo said that the project budget for 2019 also includes a loan from the World Bank for RD$274 million. As the financing process is developing, the government is continuing its work on the next phase that includes completing the management models, and the design for long-term organization.
The minister said that the government will begin early education in some 20 schools in the area. He attended the graduation of 306 youths that took technical courses at the Armed Forces Vocational School in San Jose de las Matas.
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Presidencia
Hoy
Presidencia
26 November 2018
