Farmers throw beans

[NewsWhore]

Angered at the slump in sales resulting from competition with cheaper imported products, some 1,200 farmers from the south western province of San Juan de la Maguana protested outside the Congress building in Santo Domingo yesterday, peppering it with 150 quintals (1qq = 100lbs) of beans and onions. Farmers say that the increase in imports has led to a loss of 400,000 quintals of beans and onions and they claim that the government owes them RD$1.15 billion. Hoy reports that bean and onion farmers from the province have as many as 250,000 quintals in storage, which may not be sold because the market has been flooded with imported products. Osmar Benitez, vice president of the Dominican Agro-business Council (JAD) is calling on the government to intervene by storing some of the beans and onions to prevent them from spoiling while they wait to be sold. Benitez, speaking on behalf of the farmers, said that too many beans and onions have been imported.

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