The Dominican Republic could become a center of production agricultural sector that supplies markets throughout the Caribbean, a task that would require making the most of arable land abandoned or underutilized.
In this regard, the economist Juan Ariel Jiménez pointed out the need for policies of planning that protects lands with an agricultural vocation. “Until we have a good law of territorial planning“We will not be able to stop this destruction of agricultural land,” he said.
In his opinion, this policy public must be accompanied by a strategy to invest in infrastructure rural that put other lands into production, and that includes:
- The construction of interparcel roads
- The electrification of farms
- The construction of dams and lagoons for the preservation of water resources
“But we must also promote the infrastructure private through a good policy of loans,” Ariel Jiménez said this Friday. producers farmers, businessmen and politicians within the framework of the XXVI National Meeting of Leaders of the Agricultural Sector.
He argued that the producers need to increase their machinerybuild larger drying and storage plants for their crops, all instruments that, together with the construction of social works, would help reduce costs and, consequently, lower food prices.
Technologies to increase the productivity
According to the economistthe producers They also require greater investments for modernize agricultural work, with tools that measure humidity levels, temperature and the presence of chemicals.
“Through the use of genetic and genetic technologies, productionwe could achieve an increase in productivity per hectare,” he added.
He stated that the authorities They have to take measures to encourage this technificationbecause these innovations contribute to conserving water resources – moving from a flood irrigation system to precision technologies, for example – and leveling the land – through laser technologies.
However, this must be accompanied by actions for the generation of employment in complementary areas of the production –such as post-harvest activities– to prevent a reduction in jobs due to the replacement of manual activities.
“We have a great potentialWe have been blessed with a fairly profitable land, but we need a good one. policy agricultural sector that is sustained over time,” he said.
