Bazil suggests compensation for Black Sigatoka-affected farmers

Bazil is unimpressed by government response to Black Sigatoka
Bazil is unimpressed by government response to Black Sigatoka

Parliamentary Representative for Wesley, Ezekiel Bazil is of the opinion that the government should provide compensation to banana and plantain farmers who have been affected by Black Sigatoka.

He said it is the responsibility of the government to control the dreaded leaf spot disease caused by the ascomycete fungus.

“Very importantly, we are calling on the government to compensate the farmers for the losses that they have already sustained and they are going to continue to sustain through the negligence of government not controlling the Black Sigatoka issue,” Bazil, who is the United Workers’ Party spokesperson on agriculture, said in an interview with Dominica News Online.

He described the Black Sigatoka matter as a “national one” and would like to see “all hands on deck.”

“We are hearing recent knee-jerk reactions from the government but that would not really cut the issue of the Black Sigatoka,” Bazil said.

Recently Agriculture Minister, Johnson Drigo, revealed that the country will be importing some 20,000 banana plants from France as the island continues to struggle to contain the disease.

He said about 20 farmers will be targeted in the first phase of the project which falls under the EU-funded Banana Accompany Measures (BAM).

But Bazil was unimpressed noting at one point Dominica exported bananas and fruits to Europe and now the island is seeking to import banana plants from that part of the world.

“This, in my mind, seems to be counterproductive,” he stated. “This is transforming itself into 30 acres of cultivation with a maximum of 148 to 150 acres for the year, if each of these farmers are small farmers who are trying to occupying three acres of land. So I’m not certain if we are serious and if we are looking at really rehabilitating banana farms and putting farmers back to work.”

Bazil also expressed concerns over farmers who will be targeted under the government’s program.

“It was also of concern that the Minister spoke of targeted banana farmers. Now the record of this government has been to leave out farmers based on political affiliation,” he noted. “If we are talking about targeted farmers, I think that farmers ought to be concerned as to who really are to be targeted.”

Bazil is suggesting a complete restructuring of the banana sector together with leaf and soil analysis in order to establish the correct grade of fertilizers used by farmers.

He stated that if fields are maintained and the farmers are provided with the right support, Black Sigatoka will be brought under control.

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32 Comments

  1. January 20, 2015

    An issue like this should not be turned into rubbish politics. this a very important issue and it should be treated as such . Let us agree that it is the Hon. Bazil who is raising this matter and as a Dominican and a Parl. Rep . he is within his rights to make such representation. Let we as a nation debate this so that a solution could be forth coming. The vendors at the markets of Roseau ,Portsmouth etc. after the passage of storms and hurricanes were paid $500.00 monthly for a period of months to sustain them until the situation got back to normalcy. There is nothing insidious with this suggestion, further more the Govt. of Dominica handled this Banana crisis in a very incompetent and inefficient manner. Away with foolish pride for regardless who may have made this suggestion it should be given due consideration. At the earliest convenient time a committee should be in place to look into the matter and make recommendations

  2. Bagaila Bande
    January 20, 2015

    Sorry Bazil, you go promise the people you could do better and now they have voted you to bring change, you find yourself feeling the hot coals under your feet so you have decided to commit a treasury heist?

  3. nigel
    January 20, 2015

    So we have TWO GOVERNMENTS and not one of them can put a plan of action on the table. They are doing this whole back and forth thing but none of them seem to have a solution. If thats the case we are in a bit hole right now.

  4. farmer
    January 20, 2015

    Compensation for farmers who get free plants free fertilizer etc, and sell the produce so expensive. UWP sheeeee.

    • Agnes lewis
      January 20, 2015

      That UWP Blue Bird Bazil, don’t know how much money is spent treating the black sigatoca? If he not hearing it on Q, tell him to listen up on Kairi FM. So much money Government spending trying to cure the problem. All they worth is open their mouth and talk nonsense. Is not their fault. Dominicans like themselves make them think they important, by voting them in. Margie to sell yo ka fe. Dame fool. Compensate them with the money you have saving.

  5. Neutral
    January 20, 2015

    Bazil what do you know about the cultivation of bananas , so as even to try and resolve the issue of the Black Sigatoka problem. Seek advice Bazil. Compensation for what? When anything goes wrong the government is so so responsible that they even have to compensate farmers now. Bazil get a life. You talking pure ignorance/ nonsense. The problem with you is that you have so much time on your hands you cannot even do anything to solve the problem so you find the best thing to do isto stir up trouble. Next thing you know farmers will be out on the street protesting for there compensation due to the what you said. Let help the farmer in solving this problem an move forward, seek advise from persons who you thing have the knowledge to help solve the problem.

    • Expose dem
      January 20, 2015

      They should get compensated not because of the disease, but because of the delay on effort in controlling or making tge necessary provisions to help farmers control the disease, which caused years of hunger to tgem and their families.

      • Agnes lewis
        January 20, 2015

        Since Edison loose the election last time , all farmers from Marigot sit down. Some buy bus and others pulling up by the road. Who mess up the banana? Edison.

    • Francisco Telemaque
      January 20, 2015

      You know, though someone say something in certain context which makes little sense; unless they took the time to explain it properly it may come across as total nonsense. Bazil did not take time articulate his concern properly.

      Although I screwed him up, we need to remember there was a time when the Banana Association would compensate farmers for all of their wind blown down plants, after a hurricane. That took place in the 1960’s, nevertheless, there was an insurance fund in place to take care of that. How do I know about that, I returned to Dominica for a brief period in 1964, for about a month, I heard Wind-Band hired people to go out and assesses, and count the fallen plants, based on the report we made the farmer got paid on that.

      How I got fired; a cousin of mine Jacob was the boss, he sent me and another cousin Gibson to a certain field, I deliberately exaggerated the number pf plants the wind destroyed, no need to say somebody squealed on me to cousin Jacob, and he…

      • Francisco Telemaque
        January 20, 2015

        I deliberately exaggerated the number of plants the wind destroyed, no need to say somebody squealed on me to cousin Jacob, and he fired me!

        (I know who squealed on me but I doh talking eh). What Bazil should be talking about is an insurance to pay the farmers in a situation like this: I do not believe however, that taxpayer should be responsible for the disaster, in reality he is not too far out, it is not all nonsocial he simply missed the principle of insurance by a mile, or two! We have a situation at this moment in Los Angeles, Cal-Trans (I believe that is California Transportation System). They are working on Crenshaw, they dug up the street for miles, there are business on both sides of the street loosing money for more than a year.

        The transportation system has decided to pay the merchants for their loss, and that is calculated on the lost of each day. They however they have insurance inplace to cover the cost!

    • BEB
      January 20, 2015

      Is’nt there in place some insurance firm that is supposed to be looking after the interest of the banana farmers? I used to know that funds were being deducted from the banana farmers when ever sales were made . What have happened to these funds? I know that the Govt. continues to subsidize the farmers by way of inputs. Were these farmers making any form of contributions to the Govt. treasury for all the help they had gotten from Govt. Every body is expecting the Govt. to compensate them for whatever disaster that happens . The Govt. cant take on all these responsibilities
      Some time ago after a storm,Govt. assisted the fishermen with boats, fishing gears and motors so that they could continue catching their fish but when one would expect them to sell the fish cheaper , that’s when they raised the price of fish. No contribution to the treasury

      • Francisco Telemaque
        January 21, 2015

        BEB, I do not know if we are talking about the same thing; I am not sure if the deductions from the farmers was centered on the pay as you earn income tax, as that extracted from a civil servant, or private sector worker pay cheque.

        I do know in the days of Wind-ban and the Dominica Banana Association there was an insurance which paid the farmers for their loss, after a hurricane. Times have changed, and perhaps the practice paying such insurance is long forgotten, it is too late for that now, no insurance will get involved selling a policy to cover something like that when it is inevitable outcome of the industry as it stands.

    • Ex DA law man
      January 20, 2015

      You are so negative and ignorant.U don’t have to be a farmer.There is something called “reacher” and obviously you don’t know about that.Thats exactly what needs to be done.Thats the kind of thinking we need in Gov’t. Well said Bazil.

      • Francisco Telemaque
        January 21, 2015

        Perhaps if you are capable of defining “reacher” I might try to dignify your nonsense with a response, but I have no time to argue with any uneducated scum bag who are lesser in inelegance; and I’ll leave it at that!

  6. Dave Bertrand
    January 20, 2015

    Someone made an earlier comment and ask if this imported banana plants are resistant to the Black Sigatoka. We are yet to hear from the minister if that is the case. Is it another case where we continue to pump tax payers money down the drain ? What guarantee do we have that the distribution of such plan
    ts is not done on a partisan basis?

  7. Francisco Telemaque
    January 20, 2015

    “He said it is the responsibility of the government to control the dreaded leaf spot disease caused by the ascomycete fungus.”

    Bazil, basically, I do not know if you remember me, though I am a bit older than you are; we grew up in the same mud of Wesley, your sister Helen may know me better than you, I knew your mother and father, my grandmother worked with your father on his plantation in the mountains above Woodford Hill and Wesley, the last time I saw your father, he and my father were close to battle over a few dollars your father owed him. I had to make peace, between them!

    In as much as I would like to be on your side by claiming that it is the government’s responsibility to control the dreaded leaf spot, I hate to say it, but you are for certain talking nonsense! This is a banana plant disease affecting the plants wherever they are grown, I am sure you know that, so why pretend, your rhetoric is no different to the ignorance Drigo has spewed; be realistic man, there…

  8. January 20, 2015

    Two governments one plan let the back and forth continue.

  9. FAST N FURIOUS
    January 20, 2015

    @Handout! You are a genius.They are the Ones bashing the PM and the Government about handout but hear Bazil..Government should provide compensation to banana and plantain farmers who have been affected…So Bazil,those the Government are helping are not affected some way or the other?

    • Dawn
      January 21, 2015

      FAST N FURIOUS- Stop with my PM , PM my, PM please. Be a man and think about the country. Who care about PM PM PM- Any you have distinguished yourself as a glorious fool on this board anyway… go ahead with my PM PM PM- You don’t know any better you Jack &&& ((((((( %%%%.

  10. Help My unbelief
    January 20, 2015

    I support Mr. Bazil 1000%! In times of hurricanes and storms, farmers that were affected have always been compensated whether it was under the DFP or UWP. As destructive as Hurricane David was, banana and plantain farmers were NOT as badly affected as they have been with Black Sigatoka. I mean after the hurricane even if 99% of our farms were destroyed, we still had healthy plants and soil in tack. That is not the case here, as the minister himself said that they going to import 40,000 plants from France. So if farmers were compensated then, why not now since: 1. The situation is worse in our history 2. Government has more money today than ever before 3. We just spent $300 Million on an election that we were able to give rich foreign artist a fortune to perform 4. Hurricanes are act of God and we don’t have advance warning and not much time to protect ourselves; This one is Act of negligence. Here is DNO Tuesday, April 6th, 2010 Black Sigatoka described as serious threat to…

    • BARBED DAWG
      January 20, 2015

      5. Other Windward island has the sigatoka under control, ppl talk like its the aids for bananas…

  11. Zuma
    January 20, 2015

    First of all my question to Bazil is.. Do you have an academic background in Agronomy…

    Secondly based on your comments I will have to concur that it is indeed politicized. . There were no mention of Mr Drigo’s effort in securing funding and alternatives for Bananas in Dominica, which is being plagued by this disease. You come on this public forum and making all kinds of demands without even analyzing the current situation and how it should be best addressed. My suggestion to you is, to go back to the article of Mr Drigo’s and decipher exactly what he is saying..

    Stop politicizing everything.. You all are just calling on the government to do this, do that.. Without Any constructive suggestions to help move forward. Stop seating on you all behinds and dictating what should be done. Instead put your ideas together and help build Dominica together..

    I am tired of you all constant criticisims and not providing any constructive alternatives neither workable possible solutions

  12. Domnichen
    January 20, 2015

    I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a demonstration demanding compensation. We better get prepared for these demonstrations for the next five years.

  13. Just Observing
    January 20, 2015

    Remember the “dollar a pound – Summer Price” promise that was made to farmers when the UWP was not yet in office? Remember they spent 4.5 years in office and never experienced a “Summer” season? And that it was all winter for the five years? Mr. Bazil’s view about compensation means that his party would have paid banana and plantain farmers for the loss of their crops. I suppose this is deja vue. Remember the revision that was made to the Public Service Act allowing Civil Servants to continue to 60 years. Remember the procedure? Those interested were required to apply to the Cabinet and only the Cabinet could decide who go forward to 60 years. I suppose the UWP mastered the art of selecting who should receive what when they were in government so they are now crying fowl now. Because they know how to do evil, they believe every body else is similarly corrupt. As the saying goes “rats don’t like to see their friends to carrying bags”. Think of it and say it in creole.

    • Marguerite
      January 20, 2015

      How many banana plants did you lose to Black Sigatoka? You should let us know how this is going to affect you.

    • Help My unbelief
      January 20, 2015

      @Just Observing, The record will show that the UWP compensated farmers whose farms were destroyed after a storm. If you care about farmers and Dominica you would sure encourage the government to compensate farmers since the Black Sigatoka is worse than any storms, this administration have more money than any other administrations put together, and this government had more time to control the disease than the UWP or DFP had and was able to, in dealing with storms. Here is DNO on the Black Sigatoka in 2010:
      Black Sigatoka described as serious threat to livelihood
      Dominica News Online – Tuesday, April 6th, 2010 at 5:15 PM
      By the way, how much did we spend on winning the last election again? How much did we spend on foreign artists again? How much did we spend on bringing down DI-AS-PORA voters again? Did we know about the Black Sigatoka before the 2014 election budget was put in place? HELP MY UNBELIEF PLEASE!!!

      • Agnes lewis
        January 20, 2015

        Shut your trapup. How much Lennox owing people again. He borrow so much money and made so many promises to people , he must go mad. His sister said that , He could not afford to loose the elections. She knew why. The stories are coming out now. Your voters from the diaspora came in one and two weeks before elections , that is why some people don’t know about. So shut the hell up.

  14. Handout
    January 20, 2015

    Why do you think that hand out is the only solution! Dominicans tend to rely on the government for everything. The people who campaigned against such policies are the first ones advocating it.

    • Marguerite
      January 20, 2015

      Compensating farmers is not a hand out.

    • rs
      January 20, 2015

      Are you really serious. What Bazille is calling for is called reparation and or compensation for crop damage. You fool.

  15. k.t
    January 20, 2015

    Yes, I agree. Then we can move forward at faster pace.

  16. Oh Yes
    January 20, 2015

    This is a well thought out response to an issue which has immediate and long-term ramifications for the farmers and the total economy. A review of plans should be undertaken in order to quickly remedy the situation. We should however be mindful that the recovery process may take some time.

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