The Dominican government has pledged some RD$12 billion to finance and support the national agricultural sector. Agriculture Minister Limber Cruz Lopez said two-thirds of the support is marked for rice growers. Rice farmers face the prospect of massive imports from the United States, where production costs per ton are much lower.
The government has pledged RD$390 million for the poultry sector to purchase six million chickens. This program is cost-effective for the government, and socially-effective in that it guarantees local production and provides food security. Another billion pesos will go to support onion and garlic production. Last year garlic was also supported as it is highly vulnerable to imports from China, for example.
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El Caribe
31 January 2023