NewsWhore
12-18-2008, 03:20 PM
Farmers in Constanza are publicly blaming Agriculture Minister Salvador Jimenez (Chio), saying he is responsible for their multi-million-peso losses. "The lack of planning that has prevailed in your administration has caused enormous and irreparable damage to the economy of the Valley of Constanza and the country," they state in a paid advertisement in Listin Diario. They state: "Remember that after the Noel and Olga storms at the end of 2007, in one of your rare visits to this hard-working valley, you encouraged us to plant garlic, potatoes and onions on the grounds that the crops had suffered major damage nationwide and there would be shortages. This was not true. The Ministry of Agriculture distributed seeds for the planting of onions all around the country and we the farmers planted the crops, they explained.
To the dismay of 3,000 producers in the valley, all they have now is a multi-million-peso debt with the Ministry of Agriculture for RD$54 million, while their onion crop was left to spoil in government warehouses.
They complained that since four days before the 2008 presidential election (12 May) they have not seen the minister in Constanza, the country's main farming area, where more than 80% of the vegetables and legumes are produced. They said there was also a garlic surplus. They also deny the contents of a Ministry press release on 11 November 2008, claiming that the department was paying RD$220 million to farmers in Constanza. The farmers say that they have only received half that amount.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)
To the dismay of 3,000 producers in the valley, all they have now is a multi-million-peso debt with the Ministry of Agriculture for RD$54 million, while their onion crop was left to spoil in government warehouses.
They complained that since four days before the 2008 presidential election (12 May) they have not seen the minister in Constanza, the country's main farming area, where more than 80% of the vegetables and legumes are produced. They said there was also a garlic surplus. They also deny the contents of a Ministry press release on 11 November 2008, claiming that the department was paying RD$220 million to farmers in Constanza. The farmers say that they have only received half that amount.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)