Dominican Republic prioritizes rice production and fuel subsidies

In the Dominican Republic, President Luis Abinader has identified rice production as a critical priority in ongoing tariff negotiations with the United States. The government aims to protect strategic agricultural sectors to ensure national food security and economic stability. To support the sector, the administration is implementing mechanization programs through the Ministry of Agriculture to increase efficiency and reduce reliance on foreign labor.

Simultaneously, the Dominican government has frozen prices for major fuels, including gasoline, diesel, and LPG, for the week of September 5 to 11. This measure involves RD$1,294.5 million in subsidies to mitigate international market volatility. However, some derivatives like kerosene and aviation fuel are expected to see price increases.

In Honduras, fuel prices are rising, with diesel seeing increases of over two lempiras per gallon in cities like Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. Meanwhile, in the Dominican Republic, drought conditions are driving up food costs, with warnings that plantain prices could reach RD$50 per unit due to water shortages affecting production.