No more cheap food in the Dominican Republic? Peasant Movement warns of high production costs

Santo Domingo—The Dominican Peasant Movement denounced Friday that the high cost of production is causing producers to stop producing staple foods and opt for other, more profitable products.

They also pointed out that the situation of small producers has always been “difficult” but that for some, they have now improved their living conditions, assuring that “when the agricultural product rises, they benefit.”

In this sense, they made a general appeal indicating that some politicians want to help them, but they always refer to the fact that “the product is expensive,” but they do nothing about it.

“When we plant cassava, if cassava goes to five pesos, that lady in Hato Mayor who produces cassava, she does not plant cassava again the following year because she loses. The cost of production has increased a lot, and if the cassava is sold cheaply, the producer loses,” they said.

They also stated that many officials would be interested in the products being “on the ground” because the people benefit and they only think about the vote. Still, in reality, this situation harms the producer who sows.

They took the opportunity to make a call that they need basic foodstuffs to continue producing a subsidy in agricultural production. And they warned that “they are not going to eat cheaply” because the cost of production does not depend on them.