Maclean et al. - 2002 - Rice almanac source book for the most important e
Maclean et al. - 2002 - Rice almanac source book for the most important e
Maclean et al. - 2002 - Rice almanac source book for the most important e
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The DOMINICAN REPUBLIC occupies an area of 49,000 km 2 , <strong>the</strong> major part of <strong>the</strong> island<br />
of Hispaniola, b<strong>et</strong>ween <strong>the</strong> Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, with Haiti occupying <strong>the</strong><br />
sm<strong>al</strong>ler, western part of <strong>the</strong> island. The Dominican Republic had a population of 8.4 million in<br />
1999, and about a quarter of <strong>the</strong> work<strong>for</strong>ce is engaged in agriculture, which makes up 14% of<br />
<strong>the</strong> GDP. It is a tropic<strong>al</strong> country with extensive fertile areas lying b<strong>et</strong>ween mountain ranges;<br />
about 20% is arable land.<br />
Gener<strong>al</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mation<br />
• GNI per capita PPP$, 2000: 5,710<br />
• Intern<strong>al</strong> renewable water re<strong>source</strong>s: 20 km 3<br />
• Main food consumed: rice, oil and fat, sugar<br />
and honey, fruits, wheat<br />
• <strong>Rice</strong> consumption, 1999: 42.9 kg milled rice<br />
per person per year<br />
Production constraints<br />
There are sever<strong>al</strong> constraints to sustainable rice<br />
production in <strong>the</strong> Dominican Republic:<br />
• Limited irrigation water supply and poor<br />
maintenance of irrigation infrastructure<br />
• Poor drainage in <strong>the</strong> Yuma and Camu river<br />
basins and s<strong>al</strong>inity problems in v<strong>al</strong>leys and<br />
basins of <strong>the</strong> Yaque River in Dajabón<br />
• Yield potenti<strong>al</strong>s of irrigated rice vari<strong>et</strong>ies<br />
have reached a plateau<br />
• Weed comp<strong>et</strong>ition: H<strong>et</strong>eran<strong>the</strong>ra reni<strong>for</strong>mis,<br />
Echinochloa colona, Ischaemum rugosum<br />
• Blast, rice hoja blanca virus,<br />
Helminthosporium oryzae, Corticium sasaki,<br />
Cercospora oryzae<br />
• Insects: Lissorhoptrus orizophilus, thrips,<br />
Spodoptera frijiperda, Solubea sp.<br />
• High production costs, lack of credit supply<br />
• Nation<strong>al</strong> policy of maintaining low food<br />
(rice) prices <strong>for</strong> urban consumers<br />
Production season<br />
Planting Harvesting<br />
Main season Mar-Apr Jul-Aug<br />
154 <strong>Rice</strong> <strong>al</strong>manac