Banana farmers in the northeastern part of the island are appealing for assistance in marketing their produce which some say are being fed to pigs.
On Saturday, June 25, 2016, farmers displayed unsold bananas at Melville Hall to highlight their plight.
Agriculture Minister, Johnson Drigo, described the farmer’s action as a ‘mischievous act,’ saying the government has assisted farmers on the island and pointing out the regional market is saturated.
Dominica News Online spoke to a number of farmers on the matter, who justified their action on Saturday.
Farmer Edison James told DNO on Tuesday that a serious message had to be sent to the government in order to pay attention to cries of the farmers.
He was supported by another farmer, Edmund Henderson, who believes that markets are needed for their produce.
While James, who is also a former Prime Minister, acknowledged the fact that government has stepped in to assist farmers on the island with banana plantlets, he said now that the plants have been harvested, there are no markets for them.
DNO understands that farmers have taken loans to expand their productions and are unable to meet their financial commitments.
“We have a situation where farmers’ fruits are ripening on the tree because when they come to maturity the marketing opportunities are limited or restricted,” James explained. “The activity that happened on Saturday was in order to highlight and bring attention to this particular problem.”
He stated that farmers mainly from Calibishie and Castle Bruce area were given banana plantlets by the government and made it clear that he did not receive any.
He raised concerns about young farmers who have come into the industry and “have the production and cannot sell.”
According to James, farmers are urging the Ministry, the Minister of Agriculture and the Ministry of Trade to take action now to ensure that marketing opportunities are opened for Dominican farmers in Europe.
He said it is important for the ministers in charge of these ministries to meet with farmers and discuss with them the situation in respect to marketing opportunities.
“I think the Minister of Agriculture in particular, should look at this as an important function that the ministry has to be involved in and take the politics out of his mind,” James stated.
He noted that another major issue has to do with the ripening of fruits due to Black Sigatoka.
“The Ministry of Agriculture and the crop protection unit that has responsibility for Black Sigatoka control, the need to pay great attention to what is happening ..,” James said. “A very important element of this is the timely application of the Sigatoka control chemicals.”
Henderson from Marigot, told DNO that when the government stepped in and decided to assist farmers, he got the impression that the marketing aspect of it would be there, “but that just did not happen.”
“I have four to five acres of land and that is quite a few boxes of bananas,” he said.
Henderson, who has been a farmer for over 40 years, said there were times when he had up to 250 boxes of bananas and could only get market for about 40 or sometimes 50 boxes.
He noted that he utilized one acre for planting banana plantlets provided by the government.
“I sold 100 boxes to Fair Trade, then 40 and that was it,” he noted.
He revealed that bananas that were unable to be sold were given to some of his relatives to feed pigs.
“I have some relatives who have pigs and I have no choice but to let them take it by the van loads and feed their pigs,” Henderson stressed.
Henderson too is calling on the government, in particular the Ministry of Agriculture, to provide markets for banana farmers.
Another farmer from the Concord area revealed that he has the capacity to sell 100 boxes of bananas a fortnight but now can only sell ten boxes.
Meantime, Agriculture Minister Drigo said that the government is unable to export the volume of bananas it would like to due to the fact that the regional market is saturated.
“Admittedly we are unable to export volume that we would have liked since the regional market is saturated, but we have never stopped supporting farmers,” he indicated. “As you know I did made a statement just a few months ago on the question of the quality of bananas that we were exporting which certainly affected the volume of bananas that we are able to ship, but we have never stopped supporting the farmers and the export of bananas.”
He said the ministry has purchased all of the packaging material that the farmers are presently using for the export of bananas.
Drigo noted that it is quite clear that government has demonstrated its commitment through the revitalization of the banana sub-sector.
According to Drigo, apart from bringing in the over 20,000 plantlets from France the government have given the farmers support for the expansion of their fields in terms of providing fertilizers, oil for spraying.
He described the activity held by farmers in Marigot as a “mischievous act”.
“There is market for some of these bananas on the local market as we speak,” Drigo remarked.
He pointed out that government will continue to seek additional markets for farmers.
“We are looking at going back on the European market but it involves certification of the farmers for the European Market,” Drigo said.
Everything in this country is SKERRIT SKERRIT SKERRIT papabondieu leave de man alone….is he to do everything in de country den?….stay dere and doe do nothing for all u selves and wait on skerrit….smh
the minister claims the market is flooded, why did’nt he do his research into markets that were available and crops he could source and just do things complete instead of supplying crops and months later you anounce no market, it seems to me that the crops was just politics to blind us the people but that didnt lastt for long. this shows the kind of thought given by the government to serious investment in our country
dominica main export now is passport and Haitians/dominicano… these guys don’t care about anything else
Talk to Mr. Edwin (he makes Banilo Cereal) in St. Joseph. He will make cereal out of whatever you cannot use. But the price has to be beneficial otherwise it will make no sense to sell at 50 cents for one or those kind of prices. you have a problem with excess which is being thrown away, give it or sell it to him at low prices so he can add value and you can get some kind of return on the crop which you wouldnt have otherwise done. .
Can someone look into banana flour production? Banana chips
Remember it was UWP who was in power when the WTO overruled our selling of Bananas in Europe. Chiquita and Dole became the new suppliers over Caribbean bananas. The Prime Minister then was a banana farmer what did he do?
He did not a thing.
Alu have DCP factory that jus close down. Utilize the space and make the raw materials work. Banana chips, baby foods, juices, etc. Govt should invest
Allu duminicans always think allu have the answers to everything. Banana chips etc being made already here in Dominica. The issue is allu duminicans even with all allu bright ideas DON’T support local. Allu buying all the imported chips instead of supporting the local. So it remains small scale.
People need to invest in themselves as well. Come together, do something. Put resources together build a food processing plant.
So why not sell on the local market that which cannot be sold on the regional/international market??? I go to the market and have to buy a small hand of bananas for $2 green and 50cents for one ripe banana. I would have loved to buy a whole bunch of what you all had at melville hall
I was coming to comment the very same thing. Dominicans can hardly afford bananas today and I am now hearing bananas wasting? Wicked we wicked!!!
Stop complaining and take drastic action,the bananas should be dumb in heap inside the airport terminal or at the entrance of the financial building!!!
Drigo does not have a clue in anything as it relates to governance. When one takes a man who can barely run a rum shop and makes him a minister in one of the most important ministry, what is expected? Then again, this is the type of candidate the people votes for!!, This goes to show that the masses are naive and ignorant!!!
Agriculture will continue to fail in Dominica until we can take pur raw products and make them into finished goods. No investment, no market will be adequate for our raw materials.
The tourist industry is a fluid one. We cannot predict the outcome when some of us has been saying do not ignore our agriculture industry to focus on tourist only, It not too late mpMr. P.M to direct your minister of Agriculture to invade the other Carribbean islands clambering for Domincian Ag products, such as Antigua, st. Maarten, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Yeah the bananas look this way because obviously that’s the result of them having to stay on the trees and ripe then rot because nothing else to do with them.
How about…
1) dried banana chips (wix mixed nuts)
2) banana jam (in glass jars, lasts for years)
3) banana Popsicles
4) banana ice cream
5) banana liqueur
6) banana purée (baby food)
7) banana concentrate (for food flavouring)
Don’t rely on the government… Do it yourself.
Which one is your selected business? Oh, I see. Just talk you’re offering. Thank you!
Did the UWP clean up the area after the demonstration? Hosed it down and picked up every grain of fig? I heard the country has a problem with fruit flies, and farmers are bringing ripe fig in the hot sun to rotten? When Marigot people start having little flies ringing in a statement their ears the UWP will try and blame the government for the ear aches. We will remind them it is their own doing.
How can the UWP be so irresponsible and expect Dominicans not to notice. With mosquitos and all what goes with them, last week they wanted us to believe they cared for the health of the people in the area. This week they are trying to affect the health of a community.
Ignorant FOOL.
We looking for overseas market but we cannot supply the home market? Stores and market place vendors cant find farmers to sell them bananas but you looking for foreign market? Charity begins at home. Btw these bananas are not fit for sale
Edmund tell us about DAPEX Board of Directors failure to secure steady markets for the farmers!!!! and whilst at it why can’t they pay their telephone bill?
The current Directors includes —– Danny Lugay (uwp Roseau North Parl Rep); So so (Former uwp PRO); Joseph Hunter (Former uwp Calibishie Candidate), you were also part of that board some time ago, what happened? what caused the failure?
I am a shareholder of that company and is seeking answers right here right now, thank you!!!!!! Hypocrisy at its’ best i tell you, can never get better than that!!!!! As for Eddo he need to tell us why he disbanded the DBGA as soon as he became PM!!!!!!!!
Your idiocy is not only read by labourites…After 16 long years,do you know that this lazy government should have its own plant to purchase these bananas,and convert them into a myriad of other things?This is what sets apart the UWP from the lazies in the DLP..People like you cannot defend criminality,which is what this corrupt regime has unleashed upon Dominicans.
attend the board meting and ask your questions, if you are a concerned investor why wait till now to ask for statements and reports
wait he gave the reason why the market got saturated in the fist place…quality control,he took care of that,the politicis before all that was the government was not doing anything for the industry,why did not eddison..by the way is a banana primeminster and that is in my books,with that said,why did not he and his banana planting farmers sit down with the ministry of agriculture and seek out the European markets we had before,before planting on a large scale,it seem the cart was placed before the horse,eddison has the experience and knowledge of the banana market,after all that is all he did during his tenor as primeminister,a banana primeminister,where is the farmers organization..don’t they have one,a man of eddisons stature,this should have been his #1 priority upon living office,organization of the banana farmers.
Ur an educated fool..go back an rethink everything u typed
The boy is a ruler, not a leader. So what all you expect? those same farmers who are not able to sell their produce still love scare-it. They thought it\’s only non laborites who would suck the salt!!! They the laborites are sucking the salt more, and will continue to suck it. To the bananas I would say, \”LET THEM ROTTEN.\” You reap what you sow.
bananas selling for about $1.00 for one in Roseau supermarkets and they can’t get sale for what they have that is some BS I say
Drigo, the market is saturated? Carcon you did not know that when you were boasting about exports only a couple of months ago? You are useless and your Director, of agriculture even worse. Chupes man.
i agree.
Lord skeritt with all his beggin diplomacy and talk of bilateral cooperation with friendly “they love me” countries should have brought trade representatives to secure markets for Dominican goods. Oooooops wait i forget he could not do that. My bad. There is nothing being produced in DA for export. So there is only unilateral cooperation. We begg they give aid. Now i see big citizenship selling experts all of a sudden experts in construction funding and management. A company with 50 employees based in middle east building village out of pocket in hope of selling our leading manmade resources AKA passports. From lawyers to builders. Ok back to agriculture. Drigo doh worry with them.. You gave them plants, even if they fruit stay and waste. Not you business. Give them more plants. DNO can you please do me a favour. Get the qualification of every parliamentary rep. and a brief history of what they did before and post on here. One a week. Intelligence of our policy makers.
Where skerrit?
Skerrit right here in Dominica but he is leaving for Guyana for the Caricom Heads of State meeting, taking place in Georgetown 4-6 July, which he will head as President. If they have any sense they will table a vote of no confidence in him.
I’m no farmer, so please forgive me is this is an ignorant question. But if they cannot be sold as they are, is there some reason that they can’t be turned into value-added products for export, like baby food, or banana flavouring for industrial bakeries, or what have you?
Mr. Foerster. That is a very valid question. For your information, we did have exactly such a banana processing enterprise in the past. The problem as ever is that our costs of production are too high for us to compete effectively on the international market on a consistent basis.
We still have to find a market. However i am tired of complaining that we have to move from the mindset of plant, reap and export raw. We have ti add processing in there. Two ways to deal with excess are storage and processing. The latter has ability to add countless levels of jobs. Some raw material just cannot be stored long and has to have some value added. To effectively employ all these students who go study marketig, advertising, design, economics, business, we need a vibrant manufacturing and productive orivate sector. Forget the government. 38 years of independence have proven our governments are total waste of time. More so now.
instead of a coffee factory that is not even being utilized we should have a fruit processing plant.
I am in disbelief at what I’m reading that the minister of agriculture is saying.He admits that the regional market is saturated,yet he calls the action of the farmers mischievous.This Mr Drigo is an admission that you are a surface thinking Minister,who does not understand the nature of the business you are in charge of.Your ministry brought In planting material and distributed to farmers,thinking that you can now Pat yourself on the back as a job well done and complete.You didn’t have the foresight to examine the continuing natural ramifications of that intervention.Because of the nature of the crop you should have expected there to be a lot of fruit which will need to be planned for.After all you come from an agricultural community.Your monthly salary is assured,even if you’ve done a bad job,but the farmers have no income,so go ahead and castigate them as mischief makers.How about some humility and admit there are shortcomings.You’re a square peg in a round hole
Barbara the problem is politicians have taken 0ver the banana industry. The farmers must take back their industry and organize their business like the days of Dbga,where no politician was involved in decision making.banana industry has become a political football.
Mr. Drigo is not thinking straight. If you are saying that the market is saturated with bananas and we cant sell a lot so why the heck did u get over 20000 plants of bananas from France knowing well the bananas are going to stay on the farmer hand. That was not a smart move Mr. Drigo
Let Linton sell it for allyou do you guys think that the gov can bully Uk and the others to buy youf bananas when they can get it cheaper from the Americas
Blame England and the rest of Europe they havent got our backs. Roosie Douglas tried my dears
Popam, you talking crap. I see for myself bananas in Waitrose supermarket in London from St. Lucia at premium price. Didn’t St. Lucia have black sikatoka before us? The truth is we could not supply and now that we can customers already have their source and don’t need us again. Maybe Baroness salt can help us, but she got what she wanted also and does not need us either. She really played Skerrit for a sucker.
Very true, this is just another uwp game, why buy Dominican bananas when you can get them from Central and South America at a far lower price, if Linton and Edison think they can bully the EU let them get off their bottoms and go see them.
Are you for real. Why can other banana producing islands like St. Lucia get their bananas to England and Dominica can’t? If you all think that you are hurting Edison James or UWP you are more foolish than I thought.
When Edison was Prime Minister how many bananas were sold weekly? The roads at long house and deep water habour were lined with vehicles waiting to sell their produce now a farmer cannot sell one box and you are talking about bullying UK.
All Dominicans can focus on is Lennox and because Edison is from Marigot also, you choose to spew your rubbish. Stop hating Marigot people, they have done you all nothing but work hard for what they have and want. Coushonee
dont blame uwp james was there as a farmer is the government who should answer questions, what minister supplies 20000 crops and dont tell himself i need to secure a market this minister should\’nt be in office. this thing has to stop government making hhuge mistakesand bllaming others. our tax money is used for bad investments and we the people see no return
One thing is labour regime is wicked, they don’t care they have brought a curse on Dominica nothing the regime does will bear fruit…it’s all a dark process for labour..
but again dominicans have brought this evil machine upon them, they’re extremely weak and dunce society..
thus them being the poorest and slowest economy .. folks don’t invest in Dominica because the regime is corrupt the house speaker dabbles in the dark side…so it’s just a whole heap of garbage in the labour regime…..wicked lot!
Today Edison James a Former PM of Dominica has declared the Air Port a POLITICAL DUMPING site. What a shame
Of course, the opposition would make political mileage out of this and who can blame them? guys gave them ample ammunition because the fact remains that there is no market for these bananas that were grown at such great expense with EU money. The Govt. scored an own goal I’m afraid and mr. Skerrit should find himself another, more capable Minister of agriculture.
DLP Government is the caused. (Dumping Ground)
People see the message and not the messenger…the Government keep telling young people to be entrepreneurs, create their own job and they can do that in farming …yes young people get mapwe to go into farming not just sit behind a desk. So while i am concentrating on my product the government and sub committees that are in place should be finding markets out there negotiating on the citizens behalf to get sale internationally. Why dont yuo all tell the people in tourism to go look for tourist for themselves. some of all you are so blind in labour that you all cant see the bigger picture. uurrgg its so ridiculous now in this country. i hope all you will not shout labour before its too late.
Why this gang of evil men and women that goes by the name of a governmet cant hear the farmers plight.Is it deliberate?Why did they have some farmers taking loan to plant and
they had no market to sell to?? This is why lazy,inept and incompetent people cannot lead..I FEEL FOR THE FARMERS! Again WHERE THE WICKED RULE,THE PEOPLE MOURN!!!
How is the market saturated when I can hardly get banana here in Antigua because its so expensive if its plentiful it will be cheaper
All of the issues being raised in the Marigot area – hospital, banana exports, sea blast at Melville Hall are all legitimate. It is only logical that if you increase banana production you must simultaneously identify markets for the expected output. The Ministry of Agriculture has to take the lead on that even if there are marketing companies or agencies involved or also responsible. If we are fair we must agree that the buck must and will always stop at the Ministry of Agriculture, so if the agencies responsible are not functioning, particularly if government’s funds go toward their upkeep, then government must make the hard decisions where those are concerned.
Not sure I understand the role of DAPEX & Fair Trade for example but somehow my logic tells me that inspite of the relevance of the issues, due to the timing and the seeming jump from one thing to the next if one does not work, it appears to be a pile on of pressure for reasons other than meet the eye.
The farmers need access roads, so the government builds for them; they need plant cutlets and the government purchases those for them; the farmers need to inoculate against plant diseases, and the department of agriculture attends to that. Now they want the government to sell the fruits for them. Would you think think that a little island with so many organizations would just happen to have one to assist the marketing process? Farmers pay no taxes! Look at the quality of fruit they want to export.
Yes sa! Edison and the rest of UWP supporters wicked. While they saying the country poor and hungry that’s what they doing with food?….Want Not..Waste Not..Edison. Be aware of your wicked malicious POLITICAL ACTION if you care for the elderly, the children and the hungry.
You will say anything,grovel at anytime,make asinine comments at anytime to eat bread,because you are lazy,wicked and foolish…I am wondering when the Marigot people and those in the neighbouring villages will make their disgust felt…HOW MUCH MORE CAN THESE PEOPLE TAKE!!!!Sea blast,no hospital, no feeder roads,no market for bananas!!!!!WOW!!!!!
You are such an idiot. JESUS CHRIST man.
What can he do with it. The Farmers have no market. Don’t you hear one Farmers said he is giving to family etc. Look like you are not aware of the struggle.
KID ON THE BLOCK you want it for FREE like the rest of the labourites
Shouldn’t the first recourse be the Banana Growers Association? What are they doing? What are their responsibilities? The government cannot do everything for farmers. Farmers are entrepreneurs and they assume some risk when they go into business. They can succeed or they can fail. No guarantees. But considering that they have an association that they pay dues to then that Association should assist them along these lines.
Is there a Banana Growers Association? There certainly is no entry for them in the local telephone directory or an e-mail address.
I’m afraid the Minster of agriculture appears lost at sea. Only on 2 April last, GIS blasted a headline “Ministry of Agriculture prepared for mass banana exports”, quoting the Minister’s optimistic views.
In April of last year, the Antiguan Observer reported a serious banana shortage, due to the effects of Black sikatoka infestation Dominica. Meanwhile that shortage appears to have been filled, largely by banana s from St. Lucia. We appear to have missed the boat and squandered precious EU tax payers’ money, which I am sure will not go unnoticed.
Jaded Eddison James disbanded the DBGA as soon as he became PM in 1996, to get at one man…. Now he and Edmund are big shareholders of a private company called DAPEX which is charged with exporting our agricultural produce, in fact Edmund served as a Director on that company board for many many years and today the company cannot pay it telephone bill never mind to purchase goods from farmers. The government has assisted that company tremendously in the past so Edmund and Eddo must tell us what the hell is going on!!!!!!
Karma is a bitch!!!!!!! Tell them stop crying and FIX UP DAPEX!!!!!!
This photo is a real poor advertisement for the banana industry.if that is the quality of bananas that is being produced one can see the difficulty in finding markets.Govt.dapex,edison james all need to work together to improve the quality of the product.
but wait a while u mean Edison still talking? let me inform you sir that the actions of the political farmers which you lead cant be justify by taking FOOD and display it in this manner to send a clear message to the Government. is stupid and mischievous to say the list.
you were the one sir who said no banana to eat in the country. you said banana couldn’t get to maturity stage under this GOVT. TODAY YOU HAVE THE VERY BANANA YOU SHOULD BE SELLING TO THE MARKET AND TO ANTIGUA ST. MARTEEN MONSTRAT ECT DISPLAYING TO SEND A MSG TO THE GOVT.? YOU SHOULD BE ASHAME OF YOUR SELF AS A FORMER PRIME MINISTER/BANANA MAN.
Y THE PEOPLE OF CALIBISHIE, CASTLE BRUCE, WOODFORDHILL AND EVERY WHERE ELSE DONT HAVE THE PROBLEM AS YOU THE PEOPLE OF THIS TWO AH FUH AH WI COUNTRY CLAIM TO HAVE?
THEY SELLING THEIR PRODUCE. ASK GRANVILLE AND WENDY HOW THEY HAVE TO PAY FARMERS IN ADVANCE SO THEY CAN BE ABLE TO GET BANANAS. THEY GO ALL IN CASTLE BRUCE FOR BANANAS. IS IT BECAUSE THERE IS NO MARKET?…
Why can’t an idiot like you go empty
Pty your cesspit of contaminated garbage in the landfill…What gave you freedom of speech and took away Edisons own?THIS IS WHAT people get with bad leadership.
that’s how insultive u all are. cant even hold a convo. but again dats wat ur leadership brings to the table
I am not sure what is you point if the minister of agriculture himself suggest that there is a glut on the market. What I get from reading your last statement is that there is a selected few who will get their bananas sold.
I am certain that Grenville market can only sustain a few farmers , so what the hell is the Government of the day doing.
All you plight must fall on deft ears.
Very deft ears I would say Zygo. I’m sure you mean “deaf” ears.
Look at the type of banana you are protesting with that is a shame of produce to sell to people. Edison needs to stop playing politics with people livelihood, you sit at the head of DAPEX just as 95 economy you killed that. Dominicans are mad people to still have you fooling them when you’re the same one killing them produce wise. When will my people wake up and run some of you to the hills?