The Dominican National Brewery signed a collaboration agreement to execute a pilot project with which it will boost local corn production and contribute to the generation of new jobs in the South.
The agreement was signed between Cervecería and the Cooperativa Agropecuaria de Servicios Múltiples el Granero del Sur (Coopgrasur), accompanied by the Special Fund for Agricultural Development (FEDA) and the Ministry of Agriculture, which will offer technical support to the project.
“As a company, we remain focused on recovering the economy and expanding our impact in the community, so we are excited to start this pilot project that will not only stimulate the local production of corn, a raw material used in the production of our products, but it will positively transform the lives of hundreds of local producers in the South zone,” said Luis Álvarez, executive director of Cervecería.
With a contemplated investment of more than RD$13 million, This alliance will allow the implementation of a pilot project with which the brewery will explore the substitution of imported corn that it uses in the process of making its beers due to the local production of said cereal. In this first stage, it is projected to obtain a harvest of 1,550 tons of corn, according to a statement.
It was agreed that both the Ministry of Agriculture and the Special Fund for Agricultural Development (FEDA) will provide advice and technical support to farmers in the province of San Juan de la Maguana for planting, crossing and cutting corn. In addition, as part of the initiatives developed by the Dominican government, producers will be provided 60% of the cost of corn seeds.
The signing of the agreement was headed by Luis Álvarez, executive director of Cervecería, Hecmilio Galván, director of the Special Fund for Agricultural Development; Saulo Montero, president of Coopgrasur; and Juan Mateo, southwest regional director of the Ministry of Agriculture.
In addition, it was attended by Silixto Encarnación Mayor of Vallejuelo, Frank Ramírez deputy for the province of San Juan; Angel Martínez, representing Banco Agrícola, as well as Yulison Ogando from EGEHI and local farmers who will benefit from the agreement.
This pilot project is part ofhe investment portfolio that the brewery plans to carry out during this 2022, as part of its strategy to boost the economic growth of the country, its business partners, customers and the communities where it has an impact. This plan will strengthen the local productive chain and is part of Cervecería’s vision of creating a future with more reasons to toast, the note concludes.