Stealing plantains!

[NewsWhore]

Thievery has become a very serious issue in the plantain fields of the Dominican Republic. According to Hoy newspaper, as much as 50% of the plantain harvest has been stolen in some areas. One leading farmer, Santiago Espaillat, says that plantains are easy to steal since they are visible and often isolated from watchful eyes. Currently this most appreciated part of the Dominican diet is selling for prices ranging between RD$7 and RD$15 per unit, and thus, a stem of plantains with 40 units is worth a lot of money. Mr. Espaillat called for increased government assistance in reducing the incidence of crop stealing. A farmer for more than 35 years, Mr. Espaillat told reporter Aleida Plasencia that the next full crop, barring unusual weather conditions, would begin to be harvested in the early part of 2009, which means that Dominicans will have to pay high prices for this staple for the next eight months.

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