NewsWhore
04-30-2008, 02:30 PM
The president of the Dominican Agribusiness Board (JAD), Jose Ramon Peralta, put it quite clearly: Food consumed in the Dominican Republic is actually "assembled" from foreign raw materials. This argument reduces the importance of self-sufficient food production since this is dependent on imported fertilizers, chemicals and grains whose prices are subject to international pressures. Peralta said that the chemicals applied to local agricultural production are at least 90% imported, further proof of local farmers' dependence. With government authorities claiming over and over that the Dominican Republic is at least 80% self-sufficient in its food production, Peralta said that the figure is closer to 50%, since half of what is on the supermarket shelves comes from overseas.
Peralta is advising the government to provide producers, not consumers, with food subsidies. Peralta feels that the country has the capacity to produce more rice, sugar, garlic, onions, milk, eggs, vegetables, meat, fruit and vegetables.
As reported in Diario Libre, Peralta said that local producers are already feeling the market pressure from Haitian buyers who are sourcing rice here, since they can buy it at lower prices compared to US-produced rice. Peralta says that if the government subsidizes producers, wealth and jobs will be created. He said that producers are concerned about the constant increases in the price of diesel and other inputs.
Peralta was speaking at a press conference called by the JAD to emphasize the dependency of Dominican agricultural production and the sector's vulnerability to external factors. The JAD synthesized the issues surrounding the inability of Dominican farmers to supply local demand, and rested its case on the high costs of fuels, fertilizers, chemicals and other products needed to produce foodstuffs. Today's New York Times features a long article on how the fertilizer shortage is threatening farmers around the world.
www.nytimes.com/2008/04/30/business/worldbusiness/... (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/30/business/worldbusiness/30fertilizer.html?th&emc=th)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#7)
Peralta is advising the government to provide producers, not consumers, with food subsidies. Peralta feels that the country has the capacity to produce more rice, sugar, garlic, onions, milk, eggs, vegetables, meat, fruit and vegetables.
As reported in Diario Libre, Peralta said that local producers are already feeling the market pressure from Haitian buyers who are sourcing rice here, since they can buy it at lower prices compared to US-produced rice. Peralta says that if the government subsidizes producers, wealth and jobs will be created. He said that producers are concerned about the constant increases in the price of diesel and other inputs.
Peralta was speaking at a press conference called by the JAD to emphasize the dependency of Dominican agricultural production and the sector's vulnerability to external factors. The JAD synthesized the issues surrounding the inability of Dominican farmers to supply local demand, and rested its case on the high costs of fuels, fertilizers, chemicals and other products needed to produce foodstuffs. Today's New York Times features a long article on how the fertilizer shortage is threatening farmers around the world.
www.nytimes.com/2008/04/30/business/worldbusiness/... (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/30/business/worldbusiness/30fertilizer.html?th&emc=th)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#7)