Deputy Rafael Abel Lora, president of the Permanent Commission on Agriculture of the Chamber of Deputies, said Wednesday that Dominicans had reduced their rice consumption by 1.5 pounds of the total per capita.

The legislator attributed the reduction in consumption to the increase in food products that make up the basic basket.

As Lora pointed out in a press release, the cost of the basket has gone from RD$36,000 since August 2020 to RD$40,000 in December 2021, for a potential increase of 11%.

Likewise, the deputy pointed out that in 36% of Dominican households, the portion of food per day has been reduced due to the high prices of these products.

The legislator for the Montecristi province warned of the risk that the country runs by not guaranteeing the population’s food security because, according to Lora, 45 varieties of agricultural products decreased in 2021.

He also attacked President Luis Abinader’s accountability speech, pointing out that the president ” did not speak the entire truth to the country on aspects of the agricultural sector.”

Lora warned that the national agricultural production decreases due to the increase in imports, going from US$3,139 million in 2020 to US$4,078 million in 2021, as reflected by data from the Ministry of Agriculture.

Finally, the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) congressman stated that “the government prefers to benefit a few importing businessmen, to the detriment of thousands of national agricultural producers.”