Rice sector supports Abinader’s plan to renegotiate DR-CAFTA terms

La Vega.- The Dominican Republic’s rice sector has expressed unanimous support for the government following the repeal of Decree 693-24, which established tariff treatment for rice under the DR-CAFTA framework.

Representatives of rice producers, millers, agrarian reform producers, and agricultural input companies said they support President Luis Abinader’s proposal to renegotiate the agreement, expressing confidence that the process can secure better conditions for national rice production and strengthen the sector’s competitiveness.

The position was reached during a three-hour meeting led by Agriculture Minister Francisco Oliverio Espaillat Bencosme in La Vega. Espaillat assured participants that existing controls on rice imports will remain in place under the current legal framework while the renegotiation process is defined.

Authorities and industry representatives agreed to remain in permanent dialogue to address the challenges facing the rice sector and build consensus among stakeholders.

The presidents of the National Federation of Rice Producers (Fenarroz), the Northeast Rice Producers Association (Aprano), the Dominican Association of Rice Mills (Adofa), and representatives of agrarian reform and agricultural input companies said the current situation requires unity and cooperation.

Espaillat said the government is committed to protecting national production through dialogue, monitoring, and concrete measures, while sector representatives welcomed the repeal of the decree as an opportunity to seek more favorable conditions for Dominican rice producers and the industry.