Livestock advances in animal health control

The director of the General Directorate of Livestock (DIGEGA), Geovanny Molina, said that since the arrival of the government of President Luis Abinader, several programs of a broad plan to be developed had been executed, having as a central axis the responsibility of animal health, as well as the promotion and extension of national livestock production, in convergence with the Government’s objectives of offering food security in the country, coordinating actions with the Ministry of Agriculture.

The Livestock Directorate received from the previous administration a country severely affected by animal diseases, with a high incidence of bovine tuberculosis, classical swine fever, Newcastle, with an institution incapable of dealing with these diseases, which endanger the health and national exports.

In the seven months of management, from August 2020 to date, the fundamental sanitary control programs have been relaunched, and important work has been carried out to prevent diseases in the livestock sector to improve and increase the benefits of national production.

According to official data, 122,656 samples were taken to diagnose brucellosis between September 2020 and February 2021. Of these, 88,435 samples were taken between September and December 2020; 14,643 were obtained in January 2021 and 19,578 in February 2021.

Geovanny Molina expressed his satisfaction with the work that the staff of this institution carries out so that the Dominican Republic has an optimal animal health system as expected by President Luis Abinader.

Molina also highlighted the work being carried out by the Quarantine Department to prevent pets from entering without permission through the country’s ports or contraband goods.

DIGEGA, through the Directorate of Animal Health, headed by Rafael Bienvenido Núñez, has traveled the country to vaccinate and strengthen livestock health.

To further develop the sector, two Projects, 18 and 19, have been launched with investments of 73 million pesos, and that directly impacts national production.

On the subject of road controls, the reactivation of internal traffic control, requiring the mobilization guide to everyone who transports animals and subjecting them to the action of justice; if not, they do not have the legal document to transport them. This has allowed us to detect the livestock thievery that is significantly affecting cattle ranchers throughout the country, an action that is being pursued and condemned.

Regarding livestock extension

There is also the sale of seeds of improved pastures at subsidized prices, and through the Directorate of Development, more than 4,500 land tasks have been benefited by small producers. The inclusion of new technicians and new efforts to resume the artificial insemination plan, among other great efforts of the DIGEGA Extension Directorate.

The government official specified that they would continue working tirelessly so that “our sector advances and agricultural production grows to satisfy the tastes and good nutrition of all Dominicans,” in a way that favors the feeding of the Dominican population as a whole and at the same time increase incomes and produces jobs for population segments residing in rural and suburban areas throughout the country.