With the goal of diversifying and expanding national fruit production and promoting innovation in crops adapted to high-altitude areas, the Minister of Agriculture, Limber Cruz, formalized the start of planting and introducing new plant varieties on an experimental farm located in this community.
Among the introduced varieties are macadamia, peach, strawberry, raspberry, persimmon, apple, blueberry, and others, which are adapted to the Dominican tropical climate and soil through the Biovega Crop Micropropagation Laboratory in the country.
This pilot project, promoted by the agricultural entity, aims to evaluate the agronomic performance, climate adaptation, and commercial potential of various temperate and subtropical fruit tree species, transforming local production into new plantations and opening up the possibility of exporting new varieties produced in the country, the minister said.
The official led the symbolic planting of peach trees, highlighting the importance of this project as part of the modernization process of Dominican agriculture in mountainous areas. He emphasized that the community of La Culata has ideal agroecological conditions for the cultivation of these new varieties.
The activity took place on the experimental farm of producer Víctor Palacios, which has adequate infrastructure for production, areas for research, technical monitoring, and knowledge transfer; this space will serve as a model for future fruit diversification projects in the region and the country.
Visitors participated in a tasting of some of the farm’s crops, such as macadamia, strawberries, fig jam, and passion fruit, then culminated with a tour of the demonstration plot’s processing, sterilization, and storage facilities.
During the opening ceremony, Minister Cruz was accompanied by specialized technicians, representatives of the agricultural sector, and local producers, including the Deputy Minister of Production and Marketing, Eulalio Ramírez; Miriam Guzmán, of Rural Development; Rafael Ortiz Quezada, of Scientific and Technological Affairs; and Pablo de Moya, the North Central Regional Minister. Also present were Ernesto Peña Nina, the Ministry’s Constanza Regional Manager; Carlos Viloria, Director of BIOVEGA; Humberto Collado, President of UNAPRODA, among others.
Original article from the Department of Agriculture, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic