Speaking at the ceremony of World Food Day, the Minister said that country's rice, banana and egg production rose 100 per cent, beans rose 76 per cent and beef, chicken and pork production rose 98, 96 and 88 per cent respectively.

Mr Rodriguez said that through the timely agricultural public policies implemented by President Danilo Medina, the country will, in the near future, each a level of excellence in food.

The Minister said that ever since the Agricultural Cabinet ran educational measures in the food and trade industries, the Dominican Republic has been able to provide the population with healthy and high quality food, ensuring food security.

"The improvement of the quality of food, both in terms of diversification, as well as increase in plant nutrients, is the main interest of the Government," the official told producers, traders, consumers, employees and representatives of current national and international agencies.

As measures to ensure this goal, Mr Rodriguez said the government is intervening through several programmes:

• The Solidarity Programme, providing public funds for the purchase of food to 1,200,000 families still living in extreme poverty;
• The School Feeding Programme which aims to provide, in a first stage, breakfast and lunch to students in the first four grades; and
• The Quisqueya Programme Starts with You, which aims to build daycare centres to benefit about 650,000 children.