Confenagro asks that labor reform take into account the conditions of the agricultural sector

Santo Domingo.– The National Confederation of Agricultural Producers (Confenagro) considered that the discussion on labor reform should contemplate the particularities of the Dominican agricultural sector, due to the special conditions in which work in the field is carried out. The entity pointed out that agricultural and livestock activities largely depend on temporary and harvest-based employment, which generates labor dynamics different from those of other sectors of the national economy. He also indicated that the field faces high levels of informality, a situation he attributes in part to the lack of mechanisms adapted to the rural and productive reality of the country. Confenagro also explained that agricultural producers operate under multiple challenges, including dependence on climatic conditions, high production costs, technological limitations, and low levels of mechanization in numerous rural areas.

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In addition to this, according to the guild, there is a growing difficulty in finding available labor for essential agricultural and livestock tasks. In that context, the organization maintained that any modification to the Labor Code should seek a balance between the protection of workers' rights and the economic sustainability of national production. "The country needs modern legislation that encourages formalization, strengthens rural employment, and recognizes the particularities of work in the countryside," the entity expressed in a statement. The organization also reiterated its willingness to dialogue and consensus during the discussion process of the labor reform, betting on solutions that contribute both to the productivity of the sector and to the guarantee of labor rights and food sovereignty of the Dominican Republic.