Dominican government turns to mechanization to strengthen rice production

Santo Domingo.- Agriculture Minister Francisco Oliverio Espaillat Bencosme said the repeal of the decree governing the rice tariff regime should not be interpreted as the Dominican Government abandoning the country’s rice producers or weakening its support for the sector.

The minister reaffirmed President Luis Abinader’s commitment to strengthening domestic rice production through greater planning, mechanization and institutional support.

As part of that strategy, the Government launched the National Agricultural Mechanization Program (Pronamec) in San Juan, an initiative designed to reduce production costs, increase productivity and improve the competitiveness of farmers.

Espaillat Bencosme described rice as a strategic crop for the country’s food security, noting that the sector supports thousands of jobs and plays a key role in the rural economy. He said the Agriculture Ministry is working to expand Pronamec to other agricultural regions.

Regarding the tariff decree, the minister said the decision reflects the country’s need to responsibly manage its international trade commitments while continuing to protect national production. He added that the measure could create better conditions for a possible future renegotiation based on technical considerations and the Dominican Republic’s interests.

“Defending producers isn’t limited to tariffs,” Espaillat Bencosme said, emphasizing the importance of timely financing, mechanization, lower production costs, technical assistance, planting planning, orderly marketing and profitability.

He assured that the Agriculture Ministry will continue strengthening assistance and modernization programs for rice producers to preserve the sector’s stability, productivity and contribution to national food security.