Govt. funds mean ‘big boost’ for Dominican Republic’s sugar industry

Santo Domingo.- On his first surprise visit, after theinaugural of his second term in office on August 16, president Danilo Medinamet Sunday with more than 2,000 sugar industryrepresentatives, in Guerra, Santo Domingo province, where government fundingwas the topic of interest.

Medina and several senior officials visited the east regiontown where he discussed the needs of the sector with the heads of six associationswith more than 2,000 members in four provinces and eight municipalities.

Eh operators of plantations told Medina they want to transformmore than 2,000 hectares for sugarcane and requested financing for RD$147million.

He reiterated government support through the State SugarCouncil (CEA) which will speed up construction of a plant to produce raw brownsugar (panela) and announced an analysis by experts to determine its viability.

Sweet rebound

Administrative minister Jose Ramon Peralta said sugarcanehas again become a profitable crop in the last four years, and stressed that presidentMedina “will give it a big boost over the next four years.”

Also present in the activity were the ministers of PublicWorks, Gonzalo Castillo, and Angel Estevez, of Agriculture.