Santo Domingo.- The Secretary General of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), Johnny Pujols, denounced this Monday that the alleged abandonment of agricultural health programs by the Government is putting Dominican mango exports to the United States at risk, asserting that producers have reported delays and rejection of shipments due to problems related to phytosanitary controls.
During a press conference, Pujols stated that the Ministry of Agriculture dismantled surveillance programs against the fruit fly, which, according to him, has weakened one of the main protection systems for national production.
“Mango producers are losing thousands of kilos of fruit and some claim that their exports to the United States have been halted, putting at risk a market that generates more than 20 million dollars,” he/she stated.
The political leader maintained that the situation especially affects producers in provinces such as Peravia, San Cristóbal, San Juan, and Barahona, where mangoes constitute one of the main agricultural activities.
The PLD’s statements come in a context where plant health continues to be a key aspect for maintaining the access of Dominican mangoes to international markets.
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Given the situation, the PLD proposed declaring a national emergency regarding agricultural health, restoring pest monitoring programs, reinstating specialized technicians who were dismissed in 2020, and conducting a transparent assessment of the losses suffered by producers.
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Likewise, he requested compliance with the requirements demanded by the U.S. phytosanitary authorities to guarantee the continuity of agricultural exports and avoid new restrictions on Dominican products.
