NewsWhore
05-24-2011, 02:40 PM
The Association of Crop Dusters (APLICA) is complaining about the bureaucratic restrictions that have been imposed on their business by the National Drug Control Department (DNCD). Headlines in El Nuevo Diario and Listin Diario carry their warnings about the nation's harvests being in danger due to the delays caused by the new red tape affecting air fumigators.
One of the problems is that the DNCD has taken control of the sale of aviation fuel to the crop dusters. According to Oliverio Espaillat Bencosme, president of APLICA, the lack of punctuality of DNCD agents at the airport refueling stations is causing unacceptable delays in crop spraying which, in turn leads to crop losses.
As of a week ago, all that was needed to purchase fuel for a crop duster was to arrive at the airport, present paperwork requesting the sale, signed by the president of the company and carrying the company's official stamp. This is no longer the case. Now, the DNCD has to authorize each purchase, but the stumbling block is that in most cases, according to Espaillat Bencosme, the agent in charge of granting the permission is "never there".
APLICA asked the Ministry of Agriculture to intervene in the case but so far, nothing has been done or said. Espaillat says the food supply chain is in danger because crops need to be sprayed on a strict schedule, and not when some DNCD agent feels like going to work.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)
One of the problems is that the DNCD has taken control of the sale of aviation fuel to the crop dusters. According to Oliverio Espaillat Bencosme, president of APLICA, the lack of punctuality of DNCD agents at the airport refueling stations is causing unacceptable delays in crop spraying which, in turn leads to crop losses.
As of a week ago, all that was needed to purchase fuel for a crop duster was to arrive at the airport, present paperwork requesting the sale, signed by the president of the company and carrying the company's official stamp. This is no longer the case. Now, the DNCD has to authorize each purchase, but the stumbling block is that in most cases, according to Espaillat Bencosme, the agent in charge of granting the permission is "never there".
APLICA asked the Ministry of Agriculture to intervene in the case but so far, nothing has been done or said. Espaillat says the food supply chain is in danger because crops need to be sprayed on a strict schedule, and not when some DNCD agent feels like going to work.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)