DAJABÓN, Dominican Republic - In a joint investment project the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) contributed RD$2.4 million to support the Sustainable Agriculture Center (CEPAS) and the Santa Cruz Agro-forestry Producers Association to conduct the project “Implementation of artisan furnaces and treatment reservoirs for forest products in Dominican Republic’s North border communities.”

The initiative will allow the organized farmers in the area of Loma de Cabrera to obtain higher income, improve their standard of living and to add value to their forest products.

As part of the project two artisan furnaces to dry, and four tubs to cure wood were made operational, and which will allow the Producers Association to obtain more income from the sale of wood.

“This project is an important contribution to implement a management model that will allow farmers of the zone to obtain more income and therefore improve their standard of living by adding value to the forest products,” said USAID Economic Policies Coordinator Luis González.

Recently the Association was incorporated to the Santiago Furniture Cluster, which will help it offer the wood to a larger market.

Moreover as part of the project 15 beneficiaries were trained in wood manufacturing and marketing, on the use of the artisan furnaces and the wood treatment tubs, and all partners were trained in sustainable forest management.