The rice producer Oliverio Espaillat recommended to the authorities of the agricultural sector to implement a new regulatory framework in the use of national and international labor in the country.
This is a necessary measure for this economic segment to make a definitive leap towards its technological development, according to Espaillat during the XXII National Meeting of Leaders of the Agricultural Sector held yesterday in Cotuí, Sánchez Ramírez province.
In addition, the introduction of a process of mechanization of sowing work in the application of inputs and bulk collection is needed, as well as socialization in the use of new genetic materials of high performance and resistance to pests and diseases through public-private alliance and a strategy that allows facing the indiscriminate rise in the prices of inputsEspaillat added, according to a statement from the Dominican Agribusiness Board (JAD).
It is recalled that at the end of September the Government gave a period of three months for companies or employers to regulate their foreign workers. The agricultural sector, like construction, is a sector with a lot of foreign labor, mainly Haitians.
About the meeting
This year the XXII National Meeting of Leaders of the Agricultural Sector, in which more than 400 leaders of the sector participated, focused on the topic “Technology, Production Costs and Profitability for Dominican Agriculture.”
“The meetings are a stage where leaders debate and make proposals for measures and public policies that help the agricultural sector to successfully face the challenges they face, to generate profitable businesses that provide income and sustainable jobs,” said Osmar C. Benítez , from the JAD, in the opening remarks.
The president of the Board of Directors of the JAD, Luis Bonilla, said that the general purpose of the meeting is to identify the technological and cost factors that affect productivity, quality and profitability of agricultural activity.
While the Minister of Agriculture, Limber Cruz, who was in charge of the central speech, expressed his interest in modernizing the production processes of the agricultural sector in order to increase its competitiveness.
“We are working hard to increase the participation of the agricultural sector in the national budget and in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), since, at present, agriculture only represents around 1.20% of GDP, a reality that must be changed” , expressed
They show technologies
At the meeting, the operation of modern equipment used during the rice cultivation and harvesting process was shown, such as: drones and airplanes for use in agriculture, machinery for the preparation and leveling of land, as well as for direct and mechanized sowing of the cereal.
Participants were also able to observe GPS and self-propelled pesticide application equipment and other tractor-powered equipment used for the application of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides.
Likewise, the Precision Agriculture System was presented, which is a novelty in the country that serves as a guide in the application of crop fertilization, efficient use of seeds and a nutritional balance of the soil.
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