After the detection at the airport of Punta Cana of an outbreak of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly, the United States, followed by Haiti and Puerto Rico, have banned the import of several agricultural products of Dominican origin, with the aim of preventing the spread of the plague.
This situation could threaten much of the agricultural sector, as three quarters of the Dominican production are shipped to the U.S.
Foods that cannot be exported to the United States are: lemon, orange, grapefruit, mandarin, mango, apple, mamey, carambola, sapodilla, granadillo, cherry, avocado, coffee, papaya, watermelon, melon, banana, tomato, aubergine, sweet and chilli peppers and cucumber.
As reported by local authorities, technical analyses show that the insect has not spread to other areas.
Seeking to reduce the negative impact this will entail, the Government held a meeting to explain the trade and health actions that will be taken to lift the ban as soon as possible.
The Minister of Agriculture, Ángel Estévez, explains the actions to be undertaken against the Mediterranean Fruit Fly. He was accompanied by Jean Alain Rodríguez, of CEI-RD; Arturo Villanueva, of Asonahores; Osmar Benítez, of JAD; Héctor Olivier, of La Cadena, and José Miguel González, of CCN group.
At the meeting, the Dominican Minister of Agriculture, Ángel Estévez, announced to have contacted officials and entrepreneurs from various countries, including Russia and Canada, interested in buying fruit and vegetables produced in the Dominican Republic.
By way of support, Dominican hotels will continue to consume local agricultural products, as stated by the vice president of the Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic (Asonahores), Arturo Villanueva, adding that a good part of the products banned in the U.S. can be absorbed by the tourism sector, which is in high season, and which purchases more than 500 million dollars' worth of agricultural products every year.
Also, representatives from major supermarket chains confirmed their commitment to local producers and offered to promote domestic products.
Estévez pointed out that U.S. technical advisors will visit several agricultural areas this Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, and will then issue the first monitoring report.
While the Government is optimistic and hopes that the report will bring positive results, there are concerns about the possibility of local products losing ground in the U.S. market.
"As long as the problem remains unsolved, those that demand these products in the United States will seek other sources, and that is an issue that really concerns us," said the Minister of Industry and Trade, José del Castillo Saviñón, adding: "Immediately after the problem is resolved, we must launch a programme along with the producers to regain the U.S. market."