Agriculture Minister Johnson Drigo is of the view that agriculture sector in Dominica is very much alive and there is money to be made from it.
He made that statement during Focus on Government and Development programme recently.
According to him, agriculture plays a significant role in the growth and development of Dominica.
“Agriculture is not dying at all, agriculture is alive and there is money to be made in agriculture, there is money to be made in vegetables, there is money to be made in peppers, there is money to be made in cucumbers,” he said. “We are unable to sustain the cucumber markets that we have out there.”
Drigo encourages young farmers to go into crops like cucumbers if they wish to make money for the Independence season.
“Cucumbers need six weeks to bear, if you go into cucumbers right now with the rain that we have at that time, your cucumbers will flourish and with all the volume of people that will be in Dominica during the Independence season, you will make money,” Drigo stated. “Every supermarket has a beautiful shelf just for agricultural produce.
He went on to say that supermarkets across the island are purchasing agricultural products every week.
Meantime; Drigo argued that there are persons who have decided that their job is to continue to cry down the industry, spending time every week on radio programmes crying down the agriculture industry.
“While they are doing that farmers continue to export, the market continue to explode, the Roseau market is still the most beautiful fresh produce market in the entire Caribbean,” he stated. “It’s the only island you will go into the market and everything that you see that is of the agricultural structure is from the island itself.”
Johno boy, we see you trying your best to revive and resuscitate agriculture. When and if you accomplish that we making you PM.
Very well said Mr Minister, Agriculture not dying….. It’s dead already.
Case close. Find a priest or pastor do the funeral. Rip Agriculture
Keep going mr minister you are doing well
What the UWP did they kill agriculture
DLP has resurrect it
Do not be dismay it is the minority that criticising every
That’s their job
Agriculture is on the way up
Come next election we are voting Labour again
We would be insane to vote UWP
Never never never
We want Linton to remain their,for as long he is leader
Labour will always win
Let all Dominicas say AMEN
That sounds like the thoughts of partisan politics of a false and ill informed Preacher. The higher the monkey climbs the higher it exposes its stupidity and Assets. I challenged you to go to Castle Bruce, Drigo`s home village, the worse agricultural deterioration ever. Once a thriving agricultural, fishing and cultural villages with intellectual icons has deteriorated under the leadership of this inept PM Skerrit. It is a damn shame and disgrace. So, where the hell you are asking Mr. Minister to keep going, a journey of denial, stupidity going to hell. You people are in denial. Drigo has no where to go but to Get Out of this Corrupt Labour Party Clang.
Ask the Minister to explain what going on at the Coffee Plant at One mile, heard of a well ochestrated sarbotage to justify why its never functioned. Millions down the drain….Agriculture buried.
DNO investigate!
Ask the Minister to explain what going on at the Coffee Plant at One mile, heard of a well ochestrated sarbotage to justify why its never functioned. Millions down the drain….Agricul
DNO investigate!
everthing in Dominica is dying look the treatment the future generation is getting abuse alcaholisim etc
Mr. Dry-go, I don’t know on which bed you sleep, or what drink you had, or which p#$$y you had for lunch, but your statement needs to be retracted, since the boat that the Government has bought or leased or stolen has never left port yet. The plane that was supposed to fly from Florida to Dominica has not commenced yet. The Roseau Market is the same for 40 years, except some aged faces has disappeared after getting all the heat from the sun. The outskirts of the market still collect garbage and stink. MB not there anymore but others are using there as their rest room.
come on Mr. Dry-go, it has to take deaf or illiterate people to believe what you are saying but I know even those will have problem with your statement. Its either you people do those things on purpose or you are just dumb.
Dominica deserves way better than this and this is going to STOP!
He knew he was referring to the labor supporters who are not farmers but had free access to the assistance program and was taking advantage of it. He knew that there were persons who did not understand the importance of watering a plant much less to clean around a dasheen shoot in order to propagate the crop but had full access to the money being donated, loaned and given.
Dry-go was right when he said he was going to straighten these people because he had the first hand information. but now Mr. Dry-go you are incorrect in say that Agriculture is not dying. Show me was had been done Geest and Tropical and other shippers who were once accepting tons of shipment of agricultural products across international waters. I think something is drastically wrong with some persons understanding and assessment of GDP, per-capita, demand, supply, equilibrium, import, export, surplus, deficit and all of the other economical terms that explains the word economics.
I saw this news cast yesterday, and I purposely waited for DNO to strike it out the news queue so that I will not comment. If Agriculture wasn’t a government’s thing, then strike out the Ministry of Agriculture and put in the Ministry of breaking grounds, or Ministry of the Sale of Passports, or the Ministry of the Importation of Chinese.
It is obvious that the ministers are not farmers, or their parents did not come up under the support of the Agriculture industry. Government has all the part to play in the uplifting of Agriculture by putting things in place to assist and encourage farmers in the industry. The Labor party has its supporters and to tell you the truth, a construction worker can buy a vehicle under the name of agriculture to help him in construction and has not planted a single fig tree.
When Dry-go came on public media and said that he was going to clamp down on farmers who use the government assistance wrongly, he knew what he was talking about.
He is right ” agriculture is not dying” it is DEAD!!!!!
There are Lies, Damned Lies and then there are Statistics..Revenue from Agriculture has declined dramatically over the last ten years in Dominica..that is common knowledge in DA now.
Drigo, please continue to encourage the farmers but recognize that there is a problem with the Industry..That’s the only way things will begin to pick up..Drigo and Ian Douglas seem to be living in a fool’s paradise.
Reading the comments of bloggers ,who identify agriculture as a Government activity instead of private sector activity,then yes agriculture will be dead.it seems people believe that agriculture is the business of minister Drygo.agriculture was at highest level of production,when the farmers organization Dbga was in control of the banana industry.as long as agriculture continues to be seen as Government industry and not the industry of the farmers production and output will remain depressed.
Joe DBGA was dissolved by the government. I dont our people and their foolish loyalty to political parties. It is ni secrete that the DLP government under Roosevelt Skerrit did not consider agriculture a viable industry. Ivor Nassief said to us it is a third world industry.
This government has not created a secure platform for the people to make agriculture their business. Thd government would prefer play politics with DAPEX yet the farmers continue to languish. The government allowed all our feeder roads to decapitate and we expect farmers to access their farm?
Joe stop being a party idiot and call it as it is. When Labor party were publically denouncing agriculture people like you were openly support those statements.
U sound really crazy saying such a thing. This is why we will continue to fail. Agriculture is not only bananas. And it is surely not solely a private sector industry. The government is the one which should take the mantle on building and growing the industry. It is the industry not just bananas. Government has to invest in the research, marketing, subsidization and various other aspects of the industry. Many think that the bigger countries only developed because of their exploitation and robbing of the africas. But they all developed from heavy investments in agriculture and research in that particular field. Governments provide various incentives and all look towards food security through investment in agriculture. Both crop and livestock
You are the one saying that agriculture is a government business.I’m sure you will agree that in all countries over the world governments play their part in this vital sector in numerous ways.This does not make it a government business.Presidents and Prime Ministers lead trade missions to go help their farmers access export markets.On the home front though these governments ensure that the farmers have as much assistance as they require to keep agricultural production adequate for local and export markets.These means doing whatever is neede.Helping farmers organize,subsidizing the industry,making finance available at concessionary terms,providing seed materials and other inputs,assisting with transportation,extension services,research,etc are done by governments all over the world to assist in making agriculture successful.Stop trying to be a smarty pants.
Joe, if agriculture is a private activity we would not need an expensive Ministry of Agriculture, would we?
Drigo is Right! Agriculture is not dying! It’s dead! Long time.
U right. It die since 1995-2000 wen peter carbon Edson James and uwp left it with less dan 1000 farmers wen they met it before its 10,000 farmers a decrease of 9,000 farmers. what more life was there to revamped
Plant marujuana for export legally.
Marijuana
Mr Drigo is right! Agriculture is not dying! it is already dead!
Those who believe in a higher power who reside in the Castle Bruce and surrounding areas must hold a special prayer vigil for Drigo. It’s quite obvious that this fella is unwell. Let not our brothers suffer without support and comfort from his fellow man.
Desperate words from a desperate man, who has no clue as to where he is going.
Well let’s hear what the farmers and their organizations like DAPEX have to say. Do they agree with Minister Drigo ??
Some people have no interest in Dominica
Some want money to fall from the sky into their hands
And many of these critics are promoted by Q FM
The minister is righ money is there to be made
The government is investing so much
But there are some lazy people who will sit on their backside and talk rubbish on Q95
Wake up dominicas and farmers let us get working and make money
one thing I can agree on you on is that agriculture is not dying it is DEAD
@preacher, What kind of preacher are you? Whose message are you preaching Skerrit’ or Gods’? You sure sound like a promoter or a supporter of corruption, which tells me you are a very corrupt and disgraced preacher
Oh shut the hell up ,always jump on qfm,you cant shut the people up,Drigo is a fool,these guys have no balls,the have to get approval from their supreme leader,before making these ridiculous statements.
Preacher please be quiet and go to the confession box. For over ten years we hearing the same old story about bananas, and we know why, it is the sae old corrupt Labour party government. Visionless, clueless, and lateness in trying to recover what has been damaged.
Look at his face in the picture….Even he does not believe what he is saying
Oh boy, they gave that ministry to Drigo because nobody else wanted it because it is known as a poisoned chalice but mister well happy to take it so he could call himself a Minister not realising it was his turn in the barrel and be the whipping boy for all that goes wrong in that important sector. Even those that are supposed to report to him are running rings around the poor man. He looks like he woke up from a nightmare in his bed, all sweaty and surrounded by cucumbers!
Where has he been? One looks at the northeast which was the life blood of Dominica upto the early to mid-nineties and compares what obtains today and the only logical conclusion is that Mr Drigo is ignorant, uninformed or deliberately trying to mislead.
Drigo you’re right. Agriculture is (state of being) not dying (a transitioning stage of being), but is already dead (end of being). As of this writing, I have family with large amount of crop just wasting by the road with no market to sell to. The DLP administration has chosen to ignore the life blood of Dominica, for a quick fix called CBI/ECP.
We need an educated agriculture minister that will put on his boots and pick up a cutlass, fork, and hoe and lead – demonstrate to the youth that this is were your heart is. We have had too many agriculture minister that are quick to dress up in a suit in the hot sun and just talk.
poor you Johno, when one grew up in poverty and have know knowledge of agricultural production and marketing one has to talk such nonsense; the farmer need a steady income and none of the crops you are talking about cannot provide the farmer with that income, because sometimes the market is up, and sometimes it is down.
I just want to say very little to Drigo. Mr Drigo AGRICULTURE is not dying you are right . AGRICULTURE is DEAD. The few farmers we have planting lettuce and other fruits and vegetable are for self sustenance. You can not even go to the supper markets and get provisions etc. When we talk about AGRICULTURE we mean being available on a large scale for local consumption and for export DRIGO. The end . I am lost for words to describe Drigo still trying to defend that fact that his government killed AGRICULTURE
I wonder when this man will stop his nonsense…Drigo you and your ilks in the DLP,the most wicked and evil government in the commonwealth,have killed agriculture,killed manufacturing,killed tourism,killed all institutions on island..You must stop making yourself a laughingstock garcon….WHY CAN’T YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS INSTRUCT YOU?…I JUST FIND THAT YOU ARE TOO SHAMELESS!!!
Hey STOP, please don’t use my precious name “Shameless” to describe such a high class political nincompoop
Always Assertive!
Mr. Drigo, you need to stop spreading propaganda because you are not a doctor and therefore you don’t when something is dead or dying. I prefer to take the advise of Doctor Roosevelt Skerrit instead because as a doctor, he knows when something is dead, dying, or hopeless.
Based on speeches given by Dr. Skerrit in recent times along with steps he has taken, as well as trips, one would have to be really blind to not see the good doctor has no interest in agriculture and he, more than anyone, his body language clearly suggests that agriculture is DEAD! Example:
https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/general/hectic-schedule-for-promotion-of-citizenship-by-investment-program/
Notice his hectic trip has nothing to do with agriculture or trying to sell agricultural produce to his new friends. It’s all about selling citizenship. “As the Minister for Finance, I understand and appreciate the importance of this programme to the country and its wellbeing….”
Sorry Mr. Drigo but it seems that you are the only one clapping and you are clapping for yourself.
Sir you’re have some point on what you’re saying, framers might be making a little money locally but let’s look at the bigger picture we need to export. Dominica is a very small population so you’re really can’t make big money selling locally. So I would say it’s half dead. Also please fix the Fram roads so young people can be encouraged to plant.
Mr. Drigo I agree with you that agriculture is not dying at all, because it is DEAD and has been dead for 10 years now. Just ask the $1 minister.
“Cucumbers need six weeks to bear, if you go into cucumbers right now with the rain that we have at that time, your cucumbers will flourish and with all the volume of people that will be in Dominica during the Independence season, you will make money,” Drigo stated. “Every supermarket has a beautiful shelf just for agricultural produce.
Mr. Drigo, that might be true for now and sounds like good advise to a handful of individuals but not to too many farmers. This is called “Insecure investment” or take a chance investment because there is no secured market. Imagine if 100 farmers would take this advise and go invest in “the money to be made” crops Drigo spoke about. Imagine 100 farmers planting with independence in mind and everybody has the same thing and you are forced to give your away? What if another storm and WCMF is…
“Drigo argued that there are persons who have decided that their job is to continue to cry down the industry, spending time every week on radio programmes crying down the agriculture industry.” But by the way Drigo, you forgot to encourage us to plant bananas man?
But who are the persons that saying that Mr. Drigo? Are you referring to Ivore Nassief who said on Q95 last week that agriculture is dead or words to that effect?
What’s wrong in saying Jack is dead when all signs are suggesting he is dead? If according to you agriculture is not dead and there is money to be made, why the government not giving children scholarships and have the PM or acting PM challenge them to defend agriculture, just as they were challenged to defend the sale of our passports? If it is not dead then why is Skerrit not booking a hectic schedule to go look for some markets in Europe and around the world, just as he is extremely BUSY looking for market for the sale of our passports?
well drigo boy u r so right agriculture isnt dying at all u and ya dlp killed it long time. 9 night that going on at this time!!!!!
Pay attention to the deplorable condition of the feeder roads and let us keep agriculture moving.
Continuation from above
Pay attention to the deplorable condition of the feeder roads and let us keep agriculture moving.
Are you for real? Have you not seen the imported carrots, grapes, apples at the Roseau market?
The Div. of Agriculture distributed banana plants to farmers, where is the market for plantain & bananas? There are so many plantains in the market now that farmers are literally ‘giving’ them away.
“Every supermarket has a beautiful shelf just for agricultural produce” Yes, but how much of it is imported and why are they given permits to import items that we produce here such as radish, cauliflower, broccoli, butternut squash, romaine lettuce, celery, bell peppers, and purple cabbage just to point out a few.
If you can not take constructive criticism and sound ideas from the people whom you state ‘are on radio programmes crying down the agriculture industry, then you are not open minded enough.
The farmers are assiduously planting and continue struggling to get to their farms. Pay attention to the deplorable condition of the feeder roads and let us keep…
Mr drigo I hate to disappoint u.. But can u explain why all now I am in need of sale for over twenty bags of dasheen.. After people was paid to plant it and the fertiliser I gave it its there rottonibg in the soil.. And I will say again there’s no market
“While they are doing that farmers continue to export, the market continue to explode, the Roseau market is still the most beautiful fresh produce market in the entire Caribbean,” he stated. “ You see, that is the problem with folks like John -Dont_Know. When last have you been to St. Lucia or Grenada? We will do better when we stop looking for excuses to justify our level of stagnation and incompetence. Sad, sad, sad indeed. One word according a former police chief, “Utter Rubbish!”
Always Assertive!
Well way papa look confusion and mixed messages from tha LabaDaba party government. It was just last week former tourism minister aka the dollar minister, told the nation in an interview with Matt, on Q95, that agriculture is dead. And today, agriculture minister Drigo is saying agriculture is not dying. Somebody is sure lying to us because according to the dollar minister, selling passports seems to be our only hope! Look lies, deception, and confusion in this corrupt island called Dominica.
Backyard gardening will help reduce the import bill and reduce our reliance on canned and frozen vegetables. People from the Diaspora if you are sending home barrels for the Independence and Christmas season, go to WalMart and Home Depot and purchase some end of summer packets of vegetable seeds and send home to your loved ones. They can grow some herbs and vegetables. We can do this Dominicans. It doesn’t take much to grow these healthy foods.
That is an excellent idea Jaime but unless I’m mistaken you are not allowed to import seeds into Dominica without the permission of that same Min. of Agriculture. Perhaps someone ccan enlighten us on this?
PS. Drigo, there is a glut of eggs on the market in Dominica today, a result of your policy. The price drop to E.C.$.6.50/doz. sold direct from the farmer to the customer. That is good for the customer but not so good for the farmer but In New York last week the retail price, bought from the store for medium size eggs ranged from U.S.$.1.49 (E.C.$.4.03) to max. U.S.$.2.09 (E.C.$.5.66) per dozen, all packed and not loose. Go and export your eggs mr. Drigo if you can, good luck.
So let us see the exports figures
agriculture is a has been activity …….ivo nassiffi I know that the spelling is incorrect.
Im begining to think DNO is state owned or state controled at least. My comments you keep deleting. Yes Agriculture is hurting. you have not done much to save it Mr. Drigo. always too busy to meet with the real stake holders.
Tell them, Mr. Drycome…..
It’s not dying at all. 
Look I see the Geese Boat in Fond Cole taking a load of fig.
I clap for this man because he is right!! Agriculture is “NOT DYING.” BECAUSE IT IS DEAD!!! For crying out loud. What are we growing now? Ganjah?
Drigo is a joke. The irrigation system in Castle Bruce that going to waste. Talk about how your constituency is going to take advantage of it.
Off Course there is money to be made, but the government and particularly you mr. drigo have not done much for agriculture as a national interest. For the past 2 years everyone has been raving about coconut oil, what has the government done to ensure a steady supply of coconuts for agro processors to capitalize, same for peppers, pepper sauce producers have to import pepper mash, same for for a whole list of other products that we can capitalize on like cocoa. What steps has the ministry taken? so much state land going to WASTE. How had the Ministry of Agriculture addressed these issues or even sought to discuss adding value to agricultural produce through meetings with agro processors/ manufacturers? The answer is they HAVEN’T. Instead they want to focus on basic growing of crops and bringing them in their raw state to market. Adding value to these frops like turning dasheen into dasheen flower/ dahseen chips/ dasheen juice etc so we can ask a higher price for the value added is not.
Oh Drigo, of course agriculture not dyeing, it is dead already! All we have eft is subsistence farming. What are you going to export Drigo? Tomatoes on Roseau market cost E.C.$.7.00 per pound if you can find them but Safe-a-Lot in the U.S.A> selling vine ripe tomatoes for U.S.$059 a pound, that is E.C.C.1.60 per pound. No wonder their store in Roseau can import produce from the U.S.A. and still make a profit compared with our own agriculture produce. You living an a fool’s paradise Drigo.
The market continue to explode .
man dow talk about explosion in Dominica too
you know that word means trouble these days .
Is like de Dominican in de people airport who say when he get home he making one Bom of broth .
nex fing he know gun pointing at him from all direction and he being told to get down on the floor.
he was hand cuffed and all his trousers change colour from white to brown . all de food he ate from two days ago just filter down his trousers .
Man dow talk about explosion and Dominica in de same sentence ok .
we dow want dat .
Drigo seems desperate man, he is now begging people to go into cucumbers…….poor fella, what else is there to offer. So, Drigo after the Independence, where is the market?
This is how this government is operating on a life line of no plans, lack foresight, and discipline in development, let alone to know what is there to produce and market. My advise to you is please consult Athie Martin, he knows Castle Bruce well and will well advised you, he is a patriot..
Please Drigo Castle Bruce is dying as well.
Drigo
Now you don’t start trying to fool de people dem too OK .
Have you visited the entire Caribbean ? obviously not .
Say no more
Reading the above presentation i agree with one thing. “Agri is not dying”. If you dig a hole and bury a man, he cannot still be dying. If he was then no matter how close he is to death then you commit murder if he is buried alive. Hence it may be safe to say the dlp murdered the agri industry. Mr. Drigo please use statistics from the ministry of agriculture and statstics division to validate your claim. The days of listening to words from government withouts the official stats is long gone. If you cannot do that then what you stated above is useless information.
is there such a Division or Ministry in Dominica?
the more the sleeping dominicans are awaking at 1 per every 6months to notice that
their island is engulfed in pure trickery and deception they will beg to be tombed!!!
Drigo, it is not “dying”,……it is Dead”. Open your eyes and you are advised when you go home to Castle Bruce have a good look at the Stretch (the long piece of road entering Castle Bruce.
When you enter the junction to Pte. Soufriere, stop and ask where are the many farmers and traders who assembled there to do business. Also Castle Bruce had three co-operatives and a thriving fishing business, a sewing business and many local NGO`s, hucksters etc creating employment and foreign exchange.
All of this is dead and I challenge you to think otherwise. Go ask stalwarts like Johnathan St. Jean, Eloi and Mark Sylvestre,, Francis Joseph, Papie, with his local supermarket and the many local farmers and traders.
Castle Bruce is now a ghost town with the wind of corruption blowing daily from the corrupt PM`s office and deceitful Labour Party you have made yourself part of. It is a shame and disgust to have you representing us, the decent man we know you are. Wrong company Jono, wrong…
I d like to know when the last time the minister went to do his shopping at the market??
one day you have no lettuce, the day after no tomatoes or you have to pay up to 8 ec /pound. the day after no banana, the day after , there is carrots but they are from gwada, and you know what they are cheaper than the local one . the day after NO FRUIT AT ALL.. ect ect