DR-CAFTA threatens survival of 80% of Dominican rice producers

Santo Domingo.- Agricultural expert Carlos Segura Foster has raised alarms about the potential collapse of 80% of Dominican rice producers due to the implementation of tariff-free rice imports under the DR-CAFTA agreement. Speaking to Comunidad Ojalá, he highlighted that approximately 30,000 to 32,000 rice producers, supporting 350,000 people, are at risk.

Segura Foster explained that 20% of producers account for 80% of rice production, while the remaining 80% contribute just 20%. This disparity also applies to millers, with small and medium-sized producers and millers particularly vulnerable. “Large producers managing 500 tasks or more will likely survive, but smaller producers with fewer than 100 tasks face extinction, as do small and medium-sized millers,” he stated. He noted that the number of operational rice factories dropped from 119 in October 2024 to 108 by December, with 86% of inventory controlled by just 19 factories.

Segura Foster criticized President Luis Abinader’s decree aimed at protecting national production, calling it ineffective against the constitutional authority of DR-CAFTA. He also lamented the government’s abandonment of key public policies, such as subsidies for agrochemicals, fertilizers, and rice seeds, which were discontinued in 2022. “This administration has focused on supporting large sectors, neglecting small and medium producers who are now at greatest risk,” he concluded.