Dominican leaders says agro got nearly US$1.0B

Yuna Basin, DominicanRepublic.- President Danilo Medina on Sunday said his administration has fundedthe agro sector´s development and expansion with more than RD$44.0 billion (nearlyUS$1.0 billion) in three years.

"Today I am reachingmy third year, and just the Agricultural Bank has provided 41.8 billion pesos,”he said, noting that the Special Agricultural Development (FEDA) Fund hasprovided a sum four or five times what was lacking."

Medina spoke in thevillage Las Coles, Duarte Province, where in the 2012 election campaign had pledgedRD$44.0 billion in funding for the agro sector.

in a meeting hostedby the Lower Yuna Rice Producers Association (APABY), Medina approved the allocationto modernize its mill and ordered additional dredging of the Yuna river channelsat rice paddies.

The president heardto the proposals by rice producers, which require government support tomodernize and expand its mill, which is deteriorated and doesn’t have the qualityproduction requires.