Dominican Republic Launches $106 Million Fund for Irrigation Upgrade

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — The Dominican Republic’s National Irrigation Technification Directorate (TNR) and the Agricultural Bank (Bagrícola) have launched a new fund exceeding 106 million Dominican pesos to modernize agricultural irrigation systems nationwide.

The initiative, known as the National Irrigation System Technification Promotion Fund (Fotesir), outlines a calendar of eight calls for proposals scheduled between January and July 2026.

During the official launch event held at the Dominican Agribusiness Board (JAD), two immediate calls were opened, committing a total investment of RD$42.4 million. These initial opportunities aim to support projects focused on upgrading irrigation infrastructure and promoting efficient water use in farming.

One national call targets large-scale projects, offering RD$26.5 million in available funds. The second call is specifically for medium-sized projects in the country's Northern region, providing RD$15.9 million.

These calls are integrated into the Bagri-Riego program, a collaborative effort by Bagrícola and TNR. The program seeks to enhance irrigation technology and foster sustainable water management, ultimately bolstering the national agricultural sector.

Selected large projects, encompassing 500 to 2,000 tareas of land, will receive incentives covering 25% of their value. Medium projects, ranging from 100 to 500 tareas, will qualify for bonuses of up to 35%. The national call for proposals remains open until April 20, while the call for the Northern region closes on March 23.

Claudio Caamaño Vélez, director of the TNR, highlighted the anticipated benefits of the Fotesir calls and the Bagri-Riego program. He noted the goal is to impact approximately 8,400 tareas nationally and around 3,300 tareas in the Northern region.

Caamaño Vélez also stated that the initiatives have already reduced the cost of irrigation systems by more than half and accelerated project implementation times for farmers. He added that implementing irrigation technologies is a top government priority, with TNR aiming to impact 33,000 agricultural tareas this year to boost efficient and sustainable production.

Steven Baldera, general project coordinator for the Agricultural Bank, emphasized that the Bagri-Riego program demonstrates a 100% success rate in installed and operational projects. He explained that its contribution extends beyond financing, transforming farmer support through technical expertise.

Osmar Benítez, executive president of the JAD, noted that the institution represents over 80,000 irrigators nationwide. He underscored the support from TNR and Indrhi in modernizing the national irrigation system, focusing on efficient water use and transitioning from traditional flood irrigation to modern pressurized systems.

Attendees at the launch included Gabriela Quiroga Gilardoni, representative of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in the Dominican Republic, alongside Henry Rosa Polanco and William Alfonso Palacio from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE).

Also present were Manuel Ogando, vice president of the Development and Export Bank (Bandex); Christophe Prevost from the World Bank; Indhira Pulinario, head of Fotesir; Eladio Arnaud, director of the Dominican Institute for Agricultural and Forestry Research (Idiaf); and Erick Dorrejo, director of Border Zone Development Policies.

Through this initiative, TNR reaffirms its commitment to the sustainable development of the agricultural sector, irrigation modernization, and the enhancement of food security and the Dominican rural economy.

Interested farmers can find more details and submit proposals by visiting www.riego.gob.do.