Government launches RD$100 million fund to modernize agricultural irrigation systems

Santo Domingo.- The Agricultural Bank of the Dominican Republic (Bagrícola) and the National Irrigation Technology Directorate (TNR) have launched a call for proposals offering non-reimbursable funds of up to 35% for agricultural producers in San Juan province seeking to modernize their irrigation systems.

This initiative is part of the implementation of the Fund for the Promotion of the Modernization of the National Irrigation System (FOTESIR) in the southern region. With an initial investment of RD$100 million, the program aims to improve irrigation on 470,000 acres across San Juan, Azua, Bahoruco, and Independencia over the next four years.

The launch event took place at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) and was led by Claudio Caamaño Vélez, director of TNR, and Juan Rosario, technical deputy administrator of Banco Bagrícola. They explained that the FOTESIR fund will cover up to 35% of the total cost of irrigation modernization projects, including training, water conduction, filtration, fertilization, and drainage.

Eligible applicants include small and medium-sized producers—individuals or legal entities—whose properties in San Juan do not exceed 500 net tareas. Proposals must be submitted by July 25 at 4:00 p.m. through certified suppliers registered with TNR. Beneficiaries will be selected based on a scoring system evaluating their financial contribution and the cost-efficiency of their projects.