The Minister of Agriculture said that there wasnt an excess of garlic imports in the Dominican Republic, adding that the President of the Republic had signed decree 569-12 in 2012, through which sensitive imported goods had to be placed in public auction.

"Since 2015 the garlic that has been imported has been imported into public auction and placed in the national press," said Omar Benitez.

He also said that garlic was a price regulator in Constanza and that it was protected, so the government agreed on the amount to be imported with producers, which agreed to export 140,000 quintals.

"National consumption stands at 18,000 quintals per month. If we produce less than 30 thousand quintals, we produce a month and a few days of the national offer," the official said.

Last year, producers planted nearly 314 hectares, and this year they expect to plant an additional 189 hectares, he said. The Government is providing all producers with all the facilities for the import of certified seeds that have already been tested in the valley of Constanza, to avoid traffic in the local market.

"Producers will have to plant the garlic they import to plant. The ones that bring garlic and dont plant it will be penalized, according to the law and association rules," he added.

He also said that, as Minister of Agriculture, he had already had three working meetings with the producers of Constanza and that they had agreed on an action plan designed by the Ministry in coordination with them.

The reaction of the Minister of Agriculture came after some garlic producers met with the National Confederation of Agricultural Producers (Confenagro) in Constanza and complained about the massive imports of garlic amidst the local harvest. They also complained about the lack of marketing channels to guarantee fair prices for producers.

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