Santo Domingo.- The Agriculture Ministry on Wednesday announced an agreement to offset losses from the US ban on Dominican fruit and vegetable producers in Jarabacoa and Villa Trina, and to place much of the peppers harvested for export in the local market, Acento.com.do reports.
Jarabacoa Greenhouse Cluster president Romulo Abreu said Agriculture will buy a considerable amount of bell peppers to supply the Government’s social programs relating to food.
He said the agreement was reached Monday in a meeting with Agriculture minister Angel Estevez, Cluster representatives, the Jarabacoa Farmers Co-op and other entities. "We agreed on a program where Agriculture will receive virtually the entire production of ripe peppers to alleviate the situation from the US ban."
Abreu said Agriculture will buy the first batch of 100,000 pounds of chili peppers at RD$15 per pound in the next few days, which equals roughly half of what is normally paid for export. "For us the average export price is RD$28 per pound, but it will now be RD$15 per pound. We’re losing almost half, but we have no choice for now."
Hot peppers
Acento reports a similar agreement reached with hot chili farmers of Villa Trina, in northeastern Espaillat province.