a692: Dominican Republic: Rice producers protest border contraband from Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Robert Benodin <r.benodin@worldnet.att.net>

Dominican Republic
Rice producers protest border contraband from Haiti
Rice producers are demanding the government put a stop to the sale of
contraband rice from Haiti. The president of the National Federation of Rice
Producers (Fenarroz), Fausto Pantaleon, urged the government to confront the
contraband problem.
“There has to be some kind of agreement with the authorities,” he said. “It’
s no secret to anyone that there is rice on the market that is not produced
locally.”
He demanded the Department of Customs, the Ministry of Agriculture and the
Ministry of the Armed Forces put a stop to the freight trucks loaded with
rice that are illegally crossing the border from Haiti.
The president of the San Juan de la Maguana Association of Rice Producers
told Listin Diario that if the Minister of Agriculture, Eligio Jaquez,
admits the contraband involves government sectors, they (the rice producers)
cannot control this traffic. He said their role is to produce the rice, not
police the smuggling. The authorities have asked the producers to identify
those responsible for the contraband rice.
Luis Yanguela, president of the Northeast Association of Rice Producers,
said the rice contraband concentrates high profits in the hands of very few.
The rice producers say that if the authorities are able to confiscate
concealed illegal drugs coming across the border, how can they not detect
the large freighter vans that are crossing.