The Orlando Mazara Coffee Growers Association (Asocaom) has declared the situation in the coffee-growing region of Quita Sueño, spanning seven areas in the Rancho Arriba municipality of San José de Ocoa, to be catastrophic in the wake of Hurricane Melissa’s torrential rains. Daisy Encarnación Casado, the association’s coordinator, and Aris Peguero, project manager, revealed that the damage is extensive, with hundreds of quintals of coffee lost due to the severe weather. Producers are struggling to dry their grains due to the absence of drying tunnels and the destruction of local roads, leaving many farmers stranded on their properties. Additionally, the overflowing Nizao River near Montenegro has cut off access to several communities, isolating over 200 families. These families are now without medical services and face millions in losses from ruined coffee and other crops. In response, coffee growers have urgently appealed to President Luis Abinader to implement immediate measures to support the agricultural sector. They emphasized the critical importance of coffee production for reforestation, economic sustainability, and the livelihoods of local farmers. The association also called for the repair of local roads and the swift construction of a bridge over the Nizao River at the Montenegro Crossing to restore access and aid recovery efforts.