Tomato growers, Govt. announce record 2.3M+ ton crop

Azua, Dominican Republic.- The canners and tomato growers grouped in Afconagro and the Agriculture Ministry on Thursday announced a record crop of more than 2.3 million tons on 3,700 hectares in Azua (south), with an investment of more than RD$500 million.

Agriculture minister Angel Estevez said the tomato crop’s success stemmed mostly from compliance with the ban on planting period by farmers, good planning and technical help to eliminate pests.

Afconagro president Félix García said the growers will help Haiti produce industrial tomato, and producers there can process their harvests Azua province.

He said a pilot program has been developed and is already operating to plant thousands of hectares of industrial tomato at Croix-des-Bouquets, in Haiti’s West Department, near Port au Prince. “The same administrative-technical model used in Dominican Republic will be used.”

The raw material transported to the country will be processed in Afconagro’s plants in Azua, abiding by all legal and appropriate phytosanitary procedures, the Agriculture Ministry said, adding that activity benefits hundreds of farmers and Agrarian Reform sharecroppers.