Sixteen farmers will be recognized at a graduation ceremony for their dedication and for successfully completing the Cocoa Farmer Field School Training Programme.
The ceremony, to be held on April 22, will be hosted by DEXIA in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture.
The training programme is being done to re-stimulate the interest in Dominica’s cocoa industry.
The Farmer Field School commenced in January 2014 and ended in February 2014.
The training sessions were conducted in the Northern and Western districts.
Prior to the Farmer Field School training, focus group meetings were held at Coulibistrie and Portsmouth.
The topic covered by both groups in the Farmer Field School was pruning.
The main facilitator received training in Trinidad and Tobago in November 2011 and a harmonized module was developed for a Cocoa Farmer Field School.
The Ministry of Agriculture Cocoa Coordinator and Extension staff assisted in conducting the training of farmers.
Dominica needs farmers growing and government seeking markets for there produce.This would get the economy up and running ,people working ,buying and selling.This Government has done nothing to help farmers or truth be known create jobs for dominicans.I hope things change i really do.
alas skerro what stop politicin everything is a politics lawd be greatfull and wish them farmers success in their endeavour
good luck farmers …………………………………….
Well well well, How did they choose the farmers? What about those farmers in the South? Why were not the new farmers invited to this training? What is DEXIA in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture saying that there are only 16 ( SIXTEEN) FARMERS that are interested in Cocoa. I am very sad that other farmers who are producing cocoa, who have re-established cocoa farms, were left out of the training. Is not training for all?
Brilliant! About time!
I am a big COCOA farmer thanks for the training.
Thanks my dad continued to plant cocoa in his garden in Marigot and always said the farmers should do this in between the bananas to keep the crop going and have a variety of crops.
Cocoa and coffee is big business internationally!
If is highly profitable; however, the only way the farmers will benefit from it in a big way is if the raw products are processed in Dominica, and sold internationally. Cocoa produces all types of chocolate products, for which the world has great cravings; coffee produces the same crave.
More cups of coffee are sold every morning of every day, three hundred sixty-five days each year than the number of bananas sold in ten years in any market. I believe we should return to other spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and the vanilla essence also.
However, in such effort the finish products must be processed , and package in Dominica, hence not only creating a comfortable living for the farmers only nonetheless creating some industrialized work for some of our youths; marketing strategies would also have to be developed, in that international markets would make the products a success.
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
“If is highly profitable;” That should read “it is highly profitable.”
Not: statistics proves that 2.4 billions cups of coffee is sold every day of the year. That is two billion, four hundred million cups of coffee is sold daily, if we can capture an 1/8 of market (0.125%) of the market the farmers would see more money than they could ever make from bananas.
I have paid recently seven ($7.00) dollars for a cup of starbuck coffee!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
Skero de UWP have you on your toes, you cannot even well stand up. After 15 years in office, only now you recognizing Cocoa farmers. You kill agriculture and now you want to play Jesus by resurrecting all that you kill. I hope you resurrect a clean voters list and give us ID cards so we de farmers can vote you out of office and after dig a big Dasheen hole to bury your corrupt labour party
I wish and so do many readers that you would keep the PM out of this. What benefit is it to you or anyone to mention his name in this. Can some of you not comment without bringing up his name? You are not being fair to him. Cease being negative. You are not bringing blessing on your country and the farmers. The farmers should be elated to be trained that they may bring forth a good crop and consistently so. Be grateful.
If you don’t love someone that much you would not call that someone name that much
Weh weh weh now cocoa farmers getting recognized.alas skero alas skero weh weh.what about those banann farmers and the banana industry all u kill and after 15 years it still kia raise from the dead.the truckers that had to beg and beg to get there little money.i hope when is time for fertilizer for cocoa is not another fertilizer borbol.give them another small escavator to get plant material.
This sounds like the ranting of a real madman.
So for everything you are blaming the PM? People have to help themselves as well. They must also live the faith as best as they possibly could that God will bless their efforts and make their crops flourish, be successful and profitably sold.
One more thing. They must treat others with due respect that they should be accorded. This also means those in their household.
Some of you expect good things to happen to you without lifting a finger and by not treating others with due respect and dignity. Do you not know that God knows, sees and hears all things? Everything lies with Him and in Him. We cannot do anything without the help of God.
You could not get up in the morning, breath, talk, walk and go to bed as the cycle continues daily without God being the primary part of it. This is why we are to give him his dues. He has told us so. Love him with all our hearts and souls and love one another as we love ourselves. Some of you do not practice that. Failing to do that, how do you expect everything to go right with you?
Learn from this and leave the PM alone. He has done enough and plans to do more. He can only do so much for nationals. He is not a miracle-maker.
Be smart to recognize that he is not capable of making the sun shine, the rain fall and making the earth fertile. He also is not responsible for bringing insects and mosquitoes in Dominica.
“breathe”