Agriculture Minister Osmar Benítez called on local dairy farmers to improve the quality of their milk production. He said this is needed for producers to be able to demand better prices from the local milk industry. Benítez is not backing the Dominican Association of Milk Producers (Aproleche), which is asking for at least RD$30 per liter paid at farms, an increase of RD$7.50 per liter.
Benítez said that the government could not set milk prices because this would violate the law and free market. Eric Rivero, for Aproleche, says that the local dairy-producing sector could collapse due to low profitability. Rivero said that the local milk processing industries have already increased their sales price to the consumer in more than 30%.
Aproleche represents more than 55,000 producers nationwide.
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El Caribe
Diario Libre
Listin Diario
25 July 2019