[DR1] Rice growers dispute Central Bank

[NewsWhore]

The Dominican Republic's rice growers are in disagreement with the Central Bank's recently released figures of current harvest volumes. The bank said that there would be a 47.2% decrease in the size of the harvest during the first quarter of 2006. According to the rice growers, the shortfall will only be 35%. FENARROZ, the national federation of rice growers, along with the association that represents the growers from the northeast (APRANO) agree that the fall in rice production was not as severe as quoted in the Central Bank bulletin. According to the different sources, the decrease in rice production is due to serious attacks by rice diseases as well as lower than normal temperatures. However, the first quarter is not the principal production cycle, and much larger harvests are expected in May and June.

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