House agriculture panel chair expects Rodríguez Torres’ confirmation

Interim Agriculture Secretary Irving Yoel Rodríguez Torres, seen here last September when he was the agency’s deputy secretary.

By THE STAR STAFF

District 22 Rep. Joe “Joito” Colón Rodríguez, who chairs the Agriculture Committee in the island House of Representatives, expressed his strong support and confidence in the confirmation process of agronomist Irving Yoel Rodríguez Torres as secretary of agriculture, for which public hearings begin today in the Senate.

Rodríguez Torres was appointed by Gov. Jenniffer González Colón last November, after the transition of former Agriculture Secretary Josué Rivera Castro to the Office of Economic Development. The legislator said the appointment represents a success in placing a young professional with vast technical knowledge at the front of the agency.

“From day one of his appointment, I have validated the capacity and work ethic of the interim secretary, Irving Rodríguez,” Colón Rodríguez said. “Together we have maintained direct contact with the farmers across the island, addressing their concerns on the ground. His training as an agronomist allows him to understand, first-hand, the complexities and real needs of our agriculture.”

Before the start of the confirmation hearings, the lawmaker, whose House district covers Lares, Utuado, Adjuntas, Jayuya and Ciales in the island’s western-central highlands, acknowledged the diligence of the Senate and thanked its president, Thomas Rivera Schatz, for moving swiftly to take up the appointment and for his public recognition of the qualifications of the appointee.

“I have no doubt that the Senate will evaluate the merits, credentials and, above all, the feelings of the farmers who endorse their commitment,” Colón Rodríguez said. “We anticipate that he [Rodríguez Torres] will be confirmed in the next few days to continue pushing an “aggressive agricultural development agenda in this year 2026.”