New Ministers of Agriculture and Environment and Natural Resources in the Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, May 2018 (IICA). The government of the Dominican Republic made important changes in the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. Mr. Osmar C. Benítez was appointed as Minister of Agriculture, serving as Executive Vice President of the Dominican Agribusiness Board (JAD) and strategic advisor on agricultural matters of the Government of the Dominican Republic until the time of his appointment.

Among his tasks in the institution, changes in the way of working of the agricultural sector are expected and he specified that his only commitment is with the Dominican producers protected by the laws of the Dominican Republic. He stressed that his management will focus on strengthening air and land borders to ensure the health of production and the safety of food. Likewise, he proposed as the main national challenge in agricultural matters to conquer the international market, for which reason he will concentrate his efforts in front of the entity in that sense.

Regarding the areas where he wants to emphasize, he indicated that he will work for "agricultural public policies oriented fundamentally to attend the sensitive products of the agrarian economy of the country, which feeds the Dominican people; rice, milk, beans, chicken, egg, banana, cassava; among others, because these products are essential for the basic basket and they will be given privileges ".

He also stated that he will work on "a strategy focused on promoting exports of those goods where the Dominican Republic has competitive and comparative advantages."

On the other hand, Mr. Ángel Estévez was appointed as Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources, where he will have to face the environmental policy of the country with points of great interest from the sectors of the Dominican society.

Among these agenda items are water issues, improvised landfills in different cities of the country, climate change and deforestation; among others. It is recalled that the Ministry of the Environment ordered the technical closure of Duquesa, Moca, Puerto Plata, San Pedro de Macoris, Tamboril, Verón and Villa Altagracia dumps, on April 5, in order to guarantee a final disposal of waste, adequate and safe in the long term and achieve the protection of natural resources and environmental quality.

More information: Héctor Garibaldis Pérez, Specialist in Agribusiness, hector.perez@iica.int