2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 60D - Agricultural Development of South Coast Agricultural Corridor (§§ 1781 — 1795) › § 1788 - Integrated plan for the development of the Corridor

Through an integrated planning process, the Department, together with the Board, the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, and the advice of the School of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Puerto Rico, shall draft and implement a plan for the agricultural and livestock development of the Corridor.
This integrated development plan must adopt the following criteria:
(1) To establish the specific delimitation of the geographical area which shall be designated for agricultural use, as well as the buffer zones of each municipality.
(2) To accurately identify the territorial delimitation of all the lands comprising the Corridor.
(3) To establish and promulgate the directive and programmatic rules necessary to achieve the development of the Corridor, pursuant to the purposes consigned in this chapter. On or before one (1) year as of the adoption of the resolution, the Secretary shall have a Development Plan. These rules shall fundamentally contemplate the following elements:
(a) The Department shall give the highest priority when granting incentives and providing technical, agronomical, and financial advice giving preference to farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs whether established or to be established within the Agricultural Reserves delimited [by] the Corridor.
(b) The best available management practices shall be adopted for each agricultural and livestock development initiative within the Corridor, according to the recommendations of the School of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Puerto Rico.
(c) The agricultural and livestock development initiatives within the Corridor shall comply with the public policy set forth in §§ 3051 et seq. of this title, regarding ordination [sic], use of technology and infrastructure for the intensive production of crops and organic crops.
(d) The companies to be established or already established in the Corridor shall receive, with priority, all kinds of aids and incentives for agricultural and livestock development available in the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico including, but not limited to wage subsidy, credit for investment, agricultural infrastructure and machinery, loan securities and IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development), among others, provided that they qualify therefor and according to the regulations in effect.
(e) The Department shall designate agronomists from the Land Authority to act as Administrators of the lands constituting the Corridor, so as to always maintain a responsible coordinating liaison who enforces the agricultural development plan thus directed.
(4) Integrate private sector organizations that gather supermarkets, food distributors and others, so as to guarantee the marketing of agricultural products.
(5) Encourage local farmers to foster and participate in the organization of agricultural sectors and companies pursuant to the provisions of §§ 3051 et seq. of this title.
(6) Integrate the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture in the drafting process of the agricultural development plan, as well as farmers and private citizen organizations especially interested in the conservation of the Corridor.
(7) Coordinate with the Department of the Treasury the granting of tax benefits to agricultural projects to be developed in the Corridor area, pursuant to the provisions of §§ 10401 et seq. of Title 13, known as the “Agricultural Tax Incentives Act”.
(8) Address and approve, with priority, those requests for the development of agricultural irrigation and drainage infrastructure, according to the criteria established by the Agricultural Infrastructure Development created through Joint Resolution No. 597 of December 1, 1995, as amended, whose purpose is to benefit agricultural and livestock projects established in the zone or to be established in the future.
(9) Develop and promote initiatives that foster tourism and agroturism in the zone, according to the agricultural and livestock sector.
History —Aug. 9, 2008, No. 242, § 9.