Three years ago, Freudys Rodríguez made the decision to allocate the 200 land tasks that had for the sowing of watermelon, cassava, vegetables and the raising of cattle, only for the sowing of tobacco black. The investment was successful: he estimates that he obtains up to 30,000 pesos in profits for each sown task, which entails costs between 10,000 and 12,000 pesos.
“I was, as who says, the first one who sowed tobacco In this area three years ago, and well, from there we continue working on the project And we already have more than 60 producers, “said the producercurrent president of the Cooperative of agricultural producers of Santiago Rodríguez (Coprosar).
He tobaccoa crop that became a star product of the province And that declined until his disappearance in the 90s, has rever to reverge through a program of financing implemented by the Agricultural Bank.
2,477
Amount of land tasks planted with tobacco in Santiago Rodríguez and Dajabón.
From 2021 to date, the institution has allocated 260 million pesos for the acquisition of seedlings, the construction of curing houses and the implementation of technologies – such as irrigation systems and panels Solars– to facilitate production.
With the program, the sowing of 2,477 tasks tobacco both in Santiago Rodríguez as in Dajabónbenefiting 40 producers directly with Loans of promotion under an interest rate of 8 % and Loans A zero rate for infrastructure and technological innovation.
“We knew that tobacco Here it was profitable and there was a basic culture of tobacco For cigarette. As the area is handled mostly in cattle and the fields were practically virgins for more than 20 years, we look for ways to develop a project that can help the community improve their quality of life, “said Ricar Rodríguez, entrepreneurship and agro -business manager of the entity.
Only in 2024, the institution allocated 90 million in Loans for the promotion of crop and 60 million pesos in panels Solars that generate clean energy for the use of pressurized irrigation systems that give better use to water for the crop.
He financing has also encouraged the generation of jobssince the Bagrícola averages that each farm hires between 10 and 12 employees For the sowing and cured of tobacco.
According to Ricar Rodríguez, Santiago Rodríguez was one of the provinces that most produced Rubio tobacco, used for the elaboration of cigarettes for the Dominican and León Jiménez tobacco. The sowing of this item began to reduce in the 90s, with the Departure from these companies and the increase in tobacco production costs. Now the planting of black tobacco, the HBA variety, for the elaboration of cigarettes, is being encouraged.
Guarantee of buys
To ensure the sale of the product, the Bagrícola has made agreements of buys With four tobacco companies:
- Victor Sinclair
- The artist tobacco
- Agroindustrial Galand
- Antilles tobacco
With these contracts, producers have managed to sell leaves of the tobacco cured so that they process the raw material (used for the gut and cigarette hood) and, eventually, export The finished product.
He tobacco It is one of the biggest generators of foreign exchange For the Exports Agricultural, generating more than 1.3 billion dollars a year.
“Production (agricultural) in this area was a bit precarious and what were sown here were mostly crops without contract, that is, there was not a warranty of buys. Then, the agricultural bank presented this projectwhere I was going to give us financing and one warranty of buys That was what we were looking for, so that after a while the work was not in vain, “Freudys explained.
![[object HTMLTextAreaElement]](https://resources.diariolibre.com/images/2025/02/09/07022025-recorrido-del-tabaco-en-dajabon-2.jpg "Loans to tobacco reactivate cultivation in Dajabón and Santiago Rodríguez")
This has motivated producers such as Javier Rodríguezwho also stopped sowing watermelons to put their 60 land tasks to produce tobacco Black in the community of Aminilla, in Dajabón.
This farmer hires 12 employees that sow it and cure it through the method of the string of the tobacco. Once ready, one of these companies takes them.
In this way, Javier had an entry of 400,000 pesos only of his first harvestwhich has allowed him to fulfill his financial commitments with the bank and pay the construction of the cure housethe irrigation system that has installed and the panels Solar with which you turn on your water pump.
Female inclusion
Yenny Vialet, one of the 12 women that integrates this projectreports a gain of up to 700,000 pesos of your first harvest of tobaccofor which he allocated 35 land tasks in the community of Zamba, in Santiago Rodríguez.
“We are now again (with the second harvest), experimenting and learning, “said the lady, who also works as a teacher in a high school, and who receives help from her husband to attend the farm of tobacco and other lands that occupy with cattle.
As part of the project, the agricultural bank hopes to build a tobacco nursery in Santiago Rodríguez to cultivate seedlings in the same area, and avoid transfer damage from Constaza, where they are currently taking place. They also project the installation of a tobacco processing plant with support from the private sector.
