Good news and I hope many more companies come to DR. With their investments and talents, DR will develop greater technical and productive agricultural practices and trade openness. Increasing trade, especially in non-traditional and higher value products and services is one important key in advancing the development and modernization of DR.

"IMF- The Agency's confidential report makes it clear that the agreement with the country is suspended "indefinitely" but a problem of semantics, the Government says that it is still negotiating. The report speaks of continuing breaches of the agreement from 2010 and the distance that separates it from the proposals made by the Government, especially in the electricity sector."

"HEAD OF THE IMF MISSION AS ADVISER TO THE GOVERNMENT"

"In a letter sent to authorities by the head of the mission, says among many things, there is need to raise the electricity tariff by 18%, although it should be done in two or three sections beginning with 9% until the elections and between mayo and August 9%. It asserts that the prospect of the Dominican economy is less positive than it thought in the last visit in July."

This could be a problem.

http://www.acento.com.do/index.ph....acional-asesorar-al-gobierno.html

Buyer Beware!

Atabey says

Increasing trade, especially in non-traditional and higher value products and services is one important key in advancing the development and modernization of DR.

these are veggies. no high tech there.

Any business transaction with the country should be taken carefully. Anytime money is seen being made our corrupt officials always have their hands out. If you dont give they reach in your pocket and take it. Be prepared to not make money and in fact probably lose money. Until our corruption problems are fixed this will never be a country to make any investments in.

Here is an interesting article on the state of dominican agriculture.

Oxfam study urges attention to farming

Reporting on findings in a recent analysis of government spending, international development agency Oxfam says that budget allocations to farming show that the political class gives little importance to the sector. Intermon Oxfam said that the DR-CAFTA free trade agreement has ruined national producers.

"In the 1980s, the government spent 14.1% of all revenues in farming. In the 1990s, spending had declined to 9.6%. But in the past decade, the government spent less than 5%," says the report.

(part 1)

Written by: dreadlocks, 5 Nov 2011 10:56 AM
From: United States
Atabey says

Increasing trade, especially in non-traditional and higher value products and services is one important key in advancing the development and modernization of DR.

these are veggies. no high tech there."


Au contraire, dready:

`Out of very small acorns, giant oak trees grow'

Non-traditional exports and the technical and logistical capacity utilization these investments will bring are all positives for DR. The glass is half full not half empty. :)

(part 2)

Intermon Oxfam says that food and farming are at risk in the Dominican Republic.

"Decades of negligence in farming has resulted in the situation the country is in with few alternatives for replacing expensive imports with domestic production or making the most of high food prices abroad and stimulating farm exports and rural employment," concludes the report, produced for the Crece campaign. According to Intermon Oxfam, indiscriminate imports are not only affecting producers, but also the final consumer who is hard pressed to pay for the goods.

(part 3)

The report says that for the period 2007-2010 when the DR-CAFTA has been implemented, food imports from the US increased four times more than local production, which means that local products are being displaced. "And that is only the beginning of the markets opening," warned the organization. The report says that former small farmers have migrated to the cities, and the remaining farms only survive today by importing low- cost labor. "It is about the poor hiring the destitute," say the experts.

Intermon Oxfam urges the government to spend on farming to increase and modernize irrigation capacity, adding that the improvement of access roads was urgent, as well as access to credit, which has always been a key obstacle to farm development.

The organization forecast that food prices would continue to rise, projecting increases of 120-180% by 2030.

(part 4)

In the Dominican Republic, for many years farmers in the San Jose de Ocoa agriculture area have been calling for the repair of the key highway to the mountain area. Yesterday, the Ministry of Public Works signed a commitment to repair the 39 critical points after years of delays.

See http://intermonoxfam.org/es/campanas/proyectos/crece

www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/growing-a-better-future-010611-en.pdf

www.acento.com.do/index.php/news/8790/56/Oxfam-Gobierno-dominicano-descuida-el-campo-y-DR-CAFTA-arruina-productores.html

these are veggies. no high tech there.??????
these are veggies. no high tech there."?????

`Out of very small acorns, giant oak trees grow'????

the only thing that grows is the FRAUD, THE LIES, THE KEEPING OF THE DOMINICAN PEOPLE IN THE DARK, AND AS SLAVES, THE LACK OF ANY FORMAL EDUCATION.
THIS IS WHAT GROWS. WHY? THEY KNOW NOTHING ELSE NOR DO THEY WANT TOO.
THIS IS THE WAY FOR THE BOYS IN THE GOVERNMENT.





`Out of very small acorns, giant oak trees grow'

There is a simple truth at play here. If you can't feed yourself, then you are at the mercy of others. You will then eat on their terms.

There are many problems with this country. At the top of the list are the ignorant elite who seem to like the mess we live in because it makes them stand out above the rest of us. In a more developed society, it is they who would be cleaning toilets.

“Latin Trade Magazine abused Leonel”

“The publication disrespected Dr. Fernández by saying he is a "tropical blend" of John Kennedy and Bill Clinton, and still the President was in Miami to honor the magazine with his presence.”

Intresting opinion.

http://www.7dias.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=110104

@MOLONDRON

Could you please stop the spam about the IMF issue, I think most of us here get it by now, no need to shove it down our throats by posting it everywhere, time will tell whether it's true or not, we already have enough spam with the people selling sports crap in this forum .

Ya era tiempo que esto sucediera asi la RD avancia acia el futuro inmediata

@mcruz. That's right. The negative posters outnumber the positive ones by a 5 to 1 ratio!
It would seem that bashing everything Dominican is their favourite pastime!
They will always find fault in every report, no matter how positive and good it may be.

I'm tired of reading the word "corruption" on this forum.That's all these people talk about. Their one-topic mind set never varies. Always putting everyone down, and everything Dominican isn't worth a pile of poop!

Yes, there many faults we need to repair and many other wrongdoings on the part of govt. and society at large. But, I tell you one thing, I'll take my DR, warts and all, over any other nation on the face of this earth!!!!

RonEvane, if you will "take your DR, warts and all, over any other nation on the face of this earth!!!!"
Then why are you in Githersburg, Maryland USA?

the scholar Orlando Patterson wrote a magnificent book titled CHILDREN OF SISYPHUS, which takes a look at riveting poverty in Jamaicas slum areas. he likens the plight of the people to the mythical personage Sisyphus, who was sentenced to pushing a large rock uphill. the weight of the rock was too much, and, strive as he might, it always rolled back on top of him . the same situation exists here. there is a very thin veneer of highly educated, sophisticated, informed people in this land. however, the everday person is so far behind the curve that i cannot see how any meaningful changes will ever come here. the learing process is in a state of deep inertia, attitudes to work, and personal development are woeful. the acceptance of corruption, and the aloofness to getting ahead is disturbing, especially in an epoch wherein this country has the 4th highest birth rate in the Latin American region. we are just producing more and more citizens who wil live their lives pushing boulders uphill

the scholar Orlando Patterson wrote a magnificent book titled CHILDREN OF SISYPHUS, which takes a look at riveting poverty in Jamaicas slum areas. he likens the plight of the people to the mythical personage Sisyphus, who was sentenced to pushing a large rock uphill. the weight of the rock was too much, and, strive as he might, it always rolled back on top of him . the same situation exists here. there is a very thin veneer of highly educated, sophisticated, informed people in this land. however, the everday person is so far behind the curve that i cannot see how any meaningful changes will ever come here. the learing process is in a state of deep inertia, attitudes to work, and personal development are woeful. the acceptance of corruption, and the aloofness to getting ahead is disturbing, especially in an epoch wherein this country has the 4th highest birth rate in the Latin American region. we are just producing more and more citizens who wil live their lives pushing boulders uphill

Bull.


Everyday, around the world there are people who are digging themselves out of the worse of poverty.

Children of Sisyphus is just another attempt to put blame on the productive to curry favor from the unproductive.

i am sure that you read it. i bet this is the first time you ever heard of it, or Orlando Patterson..you are such a moron. yes, everyday, people are digging themselves out of poverty. similarly, everyday, some people are not. i guess that he is talking about those who do not. i do not generally discuss these matters with fools, because they are low information types, who just serve to irritate sensible people. you are like the imbecile, Herman Cain, who says that if you are not rich in America, it is your fault. well, not everybody can be rich. it takes luck, and acumen. some guys have a God given gift to hit baseballs. some invent things. some have the ability to run successful businesses. if everyone was rich, then there would be no poor people, and then, who would wash the Bentleys? we need guys to go into burning buildings, and exricate trapped people. we need people to protect society. we need workers to deliver the mail. they are not rich, not because they are lazy

edit

unrepentant jackasses, such as yourself, believe that firemen, and cops, and mailmen, struggle to make ends meet because they are lazy an ignorant. you probably believe that some idiot who made a half assed rap song, and earned a million dollars, is a better example of productivity than the folks i just mentioned. that is why i am reluctant to debate you, because you are stupid beyond repair

Roy, I ask myself the same question! My excuse is a mixture of part stupidity and part circumstances. I blame it all on Murphy's law: "if it can go wrong, it will" or something like that. Largely, my plans have not panned out, so I'm still here. But, fortunately, by next June, (according to plan), I will be free to resettle in the north coast where I will launch a grass-roots movement to stamp out and save our nation from the corrupt and pessimists, alike!


I

A friends father once told me about an idea " give every high school graduate $1,000,000, with in a few year you would have some with about the same, some with more, a few with a lot more and most working the factory floor or cleaning the BMW's"
dread has a point and would be better said without the insults??? Not everyone has the "thing" needed to make it rich.... but that seems to be the only thing most are interested in.. and thats the main problem... money money money........

With the USA food production system " Tech" there are problems that they will bring in to make us farm the way they do.... more phosphate, pesticides, and the mechanisation of agriculture... on real long term jobs..

It is good that they see us a good place to grow and buy from but it must be on our term.. Sustainable farming and long term well payed jobs and training for Dominicans.

Ron, your sick of hearing about corruption but you dont live here and plan on starting a movement when you come back to stomp out corruption? I hope your movement works well. Those of us who live in the country more than out of it have to deal with this corruption on a daily basis. You on the otherhand only have to hear about it on this website. Be happy.

stillhere, i agree that i can address the subject without insults. however, consider the target. i am addressing a guy who introduced himself to the site by reminding the readers that, in this world, there are superior people, and inferior people, and that he is one of the superior people. he has nothing but contempt for the poor and disadvantaged, and refers to people who work with government agencies such as the DMV as moochers and looters. jackasses like that i do not suffer gladly.

There are those who blame and there are those that do. We have a lot of complainers and blame artists, but few doers.

DR has many problems, she is ALSO faced with ONE GIANT PROBLEM completely out of her hands: having to share an island with the Hemisphere's POOREST and arguably most unstable "nation-state"!! DR's internal problems are SUFFICIENT to press her capacity to the maximum; and with those of the neighboring republic overflow, tax her beyond DR's limit. No other country in the Western Hemisphere has this burden to lift, and few have contributed to its alleviation.

To those who like Dready from Jamiaca-a land known to have a pretty bad track record of its own with regards to economic and social development after Independence from Great Britain-who view DR as half-empty, think over your negative mind-set that forever sways your pessimistic outlook on life and the future of DR. Remember, what happened in Jamaica is not deterministic for the DR or any other land.

more bla bla bla, and NO SUBSTANCE , from the no brain wonder, Atabey

To those who like Dready from Jamiaca-a land known to have a pretty bad track record of its own with regards to economic and social development after Independence from Great Britain-who view DR as half-empty, think over your negative mind-set that forever sways your pessimistic outlook on life and the future of DR. Remember, what happened in Jamaica is not deterministic for the DR or any other land..

as usual, nothing to say, but focusing on a personality. he cannot debate the issue, so he turns his attack to me. at the end of the day, nothing changes. by the way, i see you are silent in my agriculture thread. i wonder why?

more bla bla bla, and NO SUBSTANCE , from the no brain wonder, Atabey

To those who like Dready from Jamiaca-a land known to have a pretty bad track record of its own with regards to economic and social development after Independence from Great Britain-who view DR as half-empty, think over your negative mind-set that forever sways your pessimistic outlook on life and the future of DR. Remember, what happened in Jamaica is not deterministic for the DR or any other land..

as usual, nothing to say, but focusing on a personality. he cannot debate the issue, so he turns his attack to me. at the end of the day, nothing changes. by the way, i see you are silent in my agriculture thread. i wonder why?

Atabey:

What a fine example of a corrupt government loving, Haitian hating Dominican you are.

VeronicaDR.
One person can make a world of difference, but one person can not do it alone. It takes dedicated, smart, passionate people with the idea that change can be made and made to benefit us all.
We can't just give up and forever complain about corruption but do nothing to change it. I don't see many suggesting ways to fight it in any way.
What they love to do is point out the negatives and propose nothing to resolve the issue.
They're forever preaching and emphasizing what's wrong with our beautiful land!
These are the pessimists who seem to so enjoy the criticism... DR can do no right!

The original topic of this report has to do with foreign companies wanting to invest here.
Right away the critics start with their vile expounding reasons why it's a bad idea for them to do business in DR.!
This is what gets me. Rather than celebrate and welcome industry, these pessimists, will find and expose what is bad about a good thing!..Amazing!!

Written by: juanb, 6 Nov 2011 3:26 PM
From: Dominican Republic
Atabey:

What a fine example of a corrupt government loving, Haitian hating Dominican you are.

juanb, that is just classic Atabey. when he has nothing meaningful to offer,which is more often than not, he either looks for scapegoats, or goes personal. i guess it is the fault of the Haitians that the country has an egomaniac for a President, yes, a man who decided to spend a billion dollars on a project which would benefit a very small portion of the population, instead of spreading the wealth around to other parts of the country. if economic gains were being made in La Vega, and Rio Burende, we would not have urban drift, wherein all the destitute people from the rural areas flock to the big city, looking for work. that causes overcrowding. that causes the need for more carritos. that aggravates garbage problems. that overburdens municipal services. that makes for an unsafe environment, with desperate, unemployed peop

besides, Haitians are here for 2 reasons. firstly, there is no work in Haiti. secondly, there is work here, because Dominicans hire them. the poor hiring the destitute. if the government wanted to do something, it would pass a decree that no company that gets a government contract should hire illegal workers OF ANY NATION. that includes Haitians, Americans, Norwegians, whomsoever. Haitians are hired in order to shave payroll costs. the economy cannot function without them, in the manner in which it is formatted. turn them all out, and the construction and agricultural sectors will go bust, overnight. to hear Atabey tell it, without them, things would be a lot better. tell that to some guy who is going to build a hotel.

Ron,
Don’t respond nor give validity to the comments some people post on this site. Just ignore them.

RonEvane,
"The road to damnation is paved with good intentions."
Let's hope your action plan is more than just hot air from the comfort of your library Mary (and Joseph?) land.

Mr. Roy.
"A journey of a thousand leagues begins with the first step"
I don't pretend to be anything more than a human being, passionate about his birthplace.
I haven't any resources that can possibly make a difference, except the desire for change.
I have no job, no boss, no family constraints, no obligations or accountable to anyone but myself. In other words, I'm free!...... I will resettle there soon, permanently.
I have nothing but time on my hands and intend to use it to help as many people as possible, especially abused and neglected children.
I know I have lofty aspirations but, all I can do is try my best and to do right by everyone.
Hopefully, I can make a difference. We'll see.

Report as spam/innapropiate
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Written by: juanb, 6 Nov 2011 3:26 PM
From: Dominican Republic
Atabey:

What a fine example of a corrupt government loving, Haitian hating Dominican you are. "

Facts are facts Juanb. Tell me what other small developing nation in Latin America has to deal with the enormous problems of the Hemisphere's poorest member?

I'm not saying that DR's sole reason for being in its current position is due to Haiti's incapacity to alleviate her people's plight and thus dump her unwanted across the border; I'm saying that this dumping of its people COMPOUNDS the problems facing DR. Prove me wrong, if you can.

answer me this one question, Atabey. who is it that makes it worth the while for Haitians to come here?

So.....I guess is a bad thing that J&J Produce Inc. and Weis-Buy Farms Inc. are setting shop in DR?!!

mmmm funny how a topic changes from the export and set up of agro business to Haitians??

I think questions need to be asked about these hothouse set ups being run by these companies, in so far as amounts of water used in such an arid part of the DR. Where the water is coming from and the way they are using phosphate, pesticides and if any sustainable farming methods being used.
The roll of the government in it all and the facts about the lack of support for agriculture from them.

I am going contact both of these companies and pose these question to them.
I'll post any reply

stillhere,
As far as sustainable farming methods are concerned, the Dominican Republic has "got it easy" - fairy consistent rainfall all year round, everywhere. Some parts and times are wetter than others, but no real droughts (by world standards). The soil is generally deep and fertile, with few trace elements missing as far as I know. Almost anything grows, including the fence posts! Hence composting and mulching is barely necessary, and certainly not practiced.
Traditional rather than scientific methods are preferred, as it avoids wasting time getting an education. As far as conservation of the natural environment is concerned - well it is not as bad as Haiti. However there is not much bio-diversity left and there is almost no native fauna. This is no surprise given the high rural population density and a Roman Catholic mentality.

@RoyStone,
You said ..."Traditional rather than scientific methods are preferred, as it avoids wasting time getting an education. As far as conservation of the natural environment is concerned - well it is not as bad as Haiti. However there is not much bio-diversity left and there is almost no native fauna. This is no surprise given the high rural population density and a Roman Catholic mentality."

What scientific methods are you talking about?

@RoyStone,
Are you saying, that the reason for the lack of native fauna in Dominican Republic, is because of our "traditional" approach to farming? Would you care to elaborate?

Thanks

Measuring all the relevant parameters to determine exactly what can be produced in each situation, in the context of what world markets demand, and the costs involved in reaching those markets, with consideration for the cost of labor, machinery, financing, compliance, etc.
Many framing plots are too small and under-capitalized to be highly profitable, since they are handed down and divided by family traditions, and many farmers can barely read, write or do basic maths, let alone have an education in agronomy or an understanding of world markets.

@RoyStone,
I'm no farmer, but do you really need a degree in Agronomy, or Macro Economics to plant rice? Can you just pay an agronomist to take samplings of soil to determine what nutrients it lacks before planting, or join a farmers cooperative/association to rent/borrow machinery?

From what I have see they do use a traditional farming method but not a good kind...... Farms handed down may also be handing down bad farming habits. Most of the time it easier to spray with chemicals to kill bugs and throw around some super phosphate than to crop rotate and organic compost. And as for farming in the arid areas to the west, the amount of water needed and chemicals fertilizer to grow tomato, cucumber and pepper???mmm
Is the water coming from ground or piped in?

Written by: dreadlocks,

answer me this one question, Atabey. who is it that makes it worth the while for Haitians to come here?"

Dready,

Juanb is a big boy and can answer for himself. As I've stated on NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, we Dominicans HAVE MANY problems that are SELF imposed, but we also have tremendous pressures stemming from our neighboring state and her leadership's historical dereliction of duty and INHUMANITY against her own people. There are few countries in Latin America that are worse than the DR when it comes to helping its own people gain prosperity, but Haiti is surely one! And it just happens to share an island with the DR. Care to Guess in what direction the excess poverty dumping moves?

Sometimes facts hurt, this is one of those cases. Again, what I state is a balanced NON-racial take on matters. Let's see what Juanb has as evidence that Haiti's poverty dumping on DR is Beneficial to DR. Should be interesting to see.

Written by: dreadlocks,

answer me this one question, Atabey. who is it that makes it worth the while for Haitians to come here?"

Dready, if you want to leave victimization aside, the REAL CULPRITS are the Haitian leadership and in general the Haitian people! If these groups had governed the affairs of Haiti better; had they invested in their own people; developed their country and taken advantage of the low wage rate to establish export platforms to exploit opportunities in the world's largest market USA-Canada-Mexico. The people of Haiti would be far better fed, clothed, educated and prosperous than they are currently.

As with the DR, the problems stem from the country within and their careless and undisciplined/unfocused manner of governance. Over time these deficiencies yield poor harvests and the nation and state are far poorer than need be.

Haitians sell themselves cheaply because their nation has turned its back on them and denied them their HUMANITY.

Arcangel96,
Maybe you tell us why there is no native fauna here.
While you are at it, tell me why much of the produce in our local supermarket is imported.
Since you mention rice, please explain how Australia, one of the driest countries in the world, produces far more rice than the Dominican Republic?
and why, after growing cocoa for over a century, the Dominican Republic can't make decent chocolate?

Arcangel96,
If you read the posts above by MOLONDRON, instead of leaping to the defense of this failed state, you might find some answers.

@RoyStone,
I'm not exactly following how are you connecting our farming practices and your "almost no" native fauna statement, that is why I asked you to elaborate. What fauna were you referring to? Also, I never said, or implied, that Dominican Rep. produces more rice than Australia, so I don't understand why are you asking me to explain how much rice Australia produces. But, if I have to take a guess, I would have to say that the size of Australia and being one of the top 20 economies in the world have something to do with its rice production output. Chocolate? is an acquired taste, which frankly I really don't care much about. But enough of these distractions, can you tell me what native animals, in Dominican Rep., have disappear because of our farming practices? Do you want to retract this statement?

@RoyStone,
Again, MOLONDRON's post does not answer your statement. I followed his links, and I searched the document and found nothing about your "fauna" statement.

Arcangel96,
Tropical rainforests typically have much bio-diversity. Yet the Dominican Republic has hardly any naive wildlife. Perhaps there was not much when Europeans first arrived either, however I suspect farming practices since have also been a major contributing factor.
Perhaps Australia is not a good country to draw comparisons.
The Dominican Republic has a slightly larger area and population than Switzerland. It also has a better climate, and far more natural resources. Yet the Dominican Republic's GDP is a tiny fraction of Switzerland's.
Why?

@RoyStone,
You said..."Tropical rainforests typically have much bio-diversity. Yet the Dominican Republic has hardly any naive wildlife. Perhaps there was not much when Europeans first arrived either, however I suspect farming practices since have also been a major contributing factor."

With all due respect, again, you are coming to conclusions without any supporting evidence. When you say "hardly any native wildlife" could you provide a country, in the Caribbean, to contrast and compare which fauna is missing? Sort of a list of native animals, common to the islands in the Caribbean, that cannot be found anymore in DR, because they were push to extinction due to our farming practices.

Switzerland?? How are you correlating GDP and the lack, or abundance, of wildlife in a country? The more GDP the more wildlife??? The Democratic Republic of the Congo has one of the lowest GDP in the world and at the same time, one of the greatest bio-diversity.

Arcangel96,
Some valid points, granted.