Dominica looks to US for dasheen exports

Drigo spoke at a town hall meeting in Belles on Thursday night

Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Johnson Drigo, has revealed that Dominica, along with St. Vincent and other Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) countries, is seeking to enter a contract to export dasheen to markets within the United States of America.

Speaking at a government town hall meeting in Belles on Thursday evening, Drigo said that the plan is to export six 40-ft containers of dasheen fortnightly as an OECS exporting group.

“This is apart from the British market that you are now supplying, and all of the hucksters that we are supplying for Guadeloupe and Martinique and the region. In addition to that, we now have an opportunity where very soon Dominica’s quota may be leading to produce at least three 40-ft containers of dasheen at least fortnightly to be sent not to the market we are accustomed to but to the sent to the United States market through a joint OECS venture,” he said.

He said the government of Dominica is willing to assist farmers in this initiative.

“The Prime Minister has already made it clear that the government will support this initiative,” he said.

Drigo urged all dasheen farmers to register with their extension officers and DEXIA in order to get the proper figures and data.

“We want to know exactly all of the dasheen farmers we have on the island, we want to know exactly what you have in your plantation presently, we want to know your capacity for expansion,” he said.

He stated that this registration is necessary to avoid any loss of markets as have happened in the past, and the level of production must be kicked up a notch to supply the new market.

“My dear people, we have lost too many markets in the past, where persons come and we establish markets, we supply them for a month or two, and after a month or two we cannot supply. If we are going to supply at least three to four 40-foot containers of dasheen fortnightly, we have to have production,” he said.

According to him, farmers must be organized in working for these specific markets, especially farmers from the village of Belles.

“Now for you in Belles, all of the markets that you are currently supplying, they are important for the export market. We will be asking you to do additional acreage to meet these new markets that we are referring to,” he remarked.

Drigo solicited the farmers of Belles and other areas of the country to get ready and registered in light of this potential market.

Dasheens harvested in Dominica

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41 Comments

  1. June 10, 2017

    You see tbats tbe problem with dominicans. Totaly uneducated. You all need to do your research and see that dasheen is being exported to the us and uk markets. The major exporters being st vincent and dominica. The info is there on the OECS website. Anyway i wish more farmers will leave agriculture. This will be less compitition for me. Foo,ish dummy nicans

  2. May 9, 2017

    Ship dasheen to the US? Is this a joke? Ship Drigo himself, because I can’t differentiate between him and a dasheen. Compare the photos and you will see.

  3. truththe
    May 8, 2017

    Thank Almighty God, Fontaine and UWP have their mind busy looking for market for farmers crops
    Poor Jono, only now. What about the banana plants you all were cutting style with, where is the market for sale for the bananas alas. Tired fool the people with false promises.

  4. Damas Victor
    May 8, 2017

    Whenever I see a dasheen , somehow I think of Drigo and whenever I see Drigo I think of dasheen. This I find is very strange.

  5. Drigo, I need to tell you in truth, you are nothing more than an idiot! Under normal circumstance, neither white or black, Indian or any other race of American born do not go out and buy yams, dashine, eddo’s, (Tanya) and green bananas to go home and cook!

    All of that sold in America, are bought by West Indians, and South Pacific islanders, some from Central America. I will pay you any amount you ask if you can name one single restaurant, and location in Canada, America, or any place in Europe, where you have been into and order of plate of boil dashine, green fig, Tanya, or any type of agricultural products you have in Dominica.

    Stop being a fool, you are simply making yourself look stupid. Some of us have children, and grandchildren born in America, when introduce them that they simply say “yak.” You know what the mean by “yak?”

    It means just the thought makes them want to vomit!

  6. viewsexpressed
    May 8, 2017

    Drigo, go clean up your backyard before you continue making a fool of yourself for the Inept Skerrit. Get away for this corrupt Labour government.

    Go Home to Castle Bruce and get your people to start planting Dasheen again. You are talking too much, talking BS. Please shut up, you are not making any impact. You have failed your village and your country.
    Labour Party is a failure, so is Skerrit, run away fro these people.

  7. ikNoWs
    May 8, 2017

    stale news. just like Drigo

  8. Me and Me alone
    May 7, 2017

    Drigo Drigo Drigo . Hmm. Now you in Belles so you talking about dasheen market . You think you can fool all the people right ? You figure Belles is know for dasheen so you just going to lie and fool them right ? well is up too those Belles people to decide whether they will be fooledd or wise up. I cannot believe that all of a sudden in a TOWN HALL MEETING YOU NOW TALKING ABOUT DASHEEN MARKET TO THE PEOPLE . YOU FORGET DURING ELECTION ALL YOU PROMISE A CARGO SHIP? All THE belittling and demoralising of DR Fountain ( the real doctor) for helping the farmers and Hucksters now you want to promise them USA market ? Drigo i really would tell you truly how i feel about you but DNO would not publish it so i will leave it alone. All i know is that all you are just lying to people over and over. And those foolish brainwashed labouties buying it over and over too . Please people of Belles don’t listen to mr .

  9. The Dasheen House
    May 7, 2017

    It is very strange that the DLP has what they described to be a massive all red convention on Sunday, and no mention of it is made on DNO today but instead they talking about the possibility of selling dasheen in the US. Now I am not blaming DNO for not putting it out because commonsense tells me that if they wanted DNO to announce it, they would have given them a new release. As a common Dominica my question is, why did they give DNO a news clipping seeing that DNO serves the entire world? Am I to wonder if there reason for keeping it as an international secret is because they DO NOT want homeland security or other international firms that know about the passport disgrace Skerrit put us in, which by the way is his reason for planning an election with more than 2 yrs remaining? Is it that he does not want them and other open minded people to listen to what he has to say to laborites and how he will not say one single thing about NG Lap Seng, Aliereza Monfared, Allison Madueke?

  10. Shameless
    May 7, 2017

    Ok John-dont-know, I like the idea of opening markets for our farmers but sadly it took you guys 20yrs plus the efforts of the opposition to show you how. Now that we had the Dcan fish market corned of last year I hope the huge export market to the US is still thriving and we will have an update soon.

    Now C/Bruce used to be known for its fishing and agriculture so keep a meeting a glue-glue and bring in them man loafing around the village so they can be presented with your vision for bringing back the good old days. C/Bruce alone should be able to give you a 20 foot container of dasheen every week and money will start flowing in the village if you guys are serious about this but remember the price MUST be right. And don’t forget to say thanks to Dr. Fontaine and the opposition fro removing lassie in you all’ eyes.

    Assertive like Moses’ rod! :twisted: :twisted:

  11. The Govt One Man
    May 7, 2017

    You all mashup everything and now you all want tostart everything again. Ever heard about the South Eastern Plantain Association? We moving yes….Forward with infrastructure backward as a lrople. What a shame. …..

  12. Jade
    May 6, 2017

    I in Dat

  13. May 6, 2017

    He’s gotta be kidding! Who in the US would eat dasheen? In our experience, most people in the US think plantain is a bitter banana that won’t ripen.

    Tanya looks similar and tastes a lot better, but people in the US wouldn’t know that either.

    As to Caribbean people living in the US; they would not likely have assess to it or prefer US food.

  14. dee
    May 6, 2017

    But what happen to Mister nah
    de jet dat will be going to St Vincent and St. Lucia will come to Dominica for produce?
    where it going to land ?
    why allu man does bru bru people so nah ?
    My pardner does import mangoes from Africa and sometimes on a Friday morning he telling me de jet came in late last night come back in de afternoon .
    some countries dont ship produce by container ship no more , that taking too long, is pick de fruit on Wednesday and Friday it on de market , Pineapples flying first class on 727 jetss.

    • Non-Dotish Dominican
      May 8, 2017

      on the new bridge in roseau

  15. truth
    May 6, 2017

    all lies,as usual, just as philbert aron said , If the government speak truth ,they will not win elections,
    What is bad about this statement is ,the pastors heard it, The priests heard it ,The so called Christians heard it ,But no one altered a word, Just because he was speaking on the behalf of the government, , But they hears every other person who op[poses the wrong thet this regime does ,and preaches ,and even pray against them , Why, ? you really want to know why?Well read EXODUS 23-8, And for this, God will judge them

  16. May 6, 2017

    just wash them the dirt is the problem coming through customs

  17. May 6, 2017

    great idea we can sure do with some of the best dasheen in the world lets get it on

  18. Wa-a
    May 6, 2017

    Why not consider shipping six container loads of marijuana.? Why is it we always behind time? Jaco flats, Wet Area is prime land for growing organic recreational and medicinal herb. You should see the line up everyday at an over the counter marijuana supply shop. I do not see those line ups at any West Indian store for dasheen. Slavery done.

  19. Roseau MonfaRED Bridge
    May 5, 2017

    Dominica needs to look to US to protect our democracy and promote good governance. Dominica should also look to the US to help track the actions of Aliereza Monfared, during his sim months stay here, with the assistance of our government.

  20. discreet
    May 5, 2017

    Minister of no confidence: Agriculture is the back bone of our economy. Over 10,000 farmers/ households are impacted directly by agriculture and indirectly food security for the whole country. I have some sound advise for you. Fire the director of agriculture immediately and get someone who will command the respect of the extension staff. You then instruct the PM to open the feeder roads so that farmers can have access to their farms. You hire a highly qualify consultant like Dr. Clayton Shilling ford or the like Of Dr.Thompson Fontaine to ply the way forward in terms of incentives and assistance for the farmers your government have disabled. Let ministers of Government know in no uncertain terms that they should not be distributing fertilizers and other inputs from their homes as these are functions of the extention staff. On a personal note I will advise you to pray because this will be very hard because because of the damage done to agriculture is severe.I

  21. discreet
    May 5, 2017

    Minister of No confidence …………… all u do is talk are all over the place in Martinique St Martin now u are up in America. What about the coffee factory. How many acres of coffee have been established from 2009 to 2017. How many coffee farmers do we have on record and how are they serviced by your extension staff. What about the abattoir : How many birds are produced on a weekly basis ,? What assistance is given to farmers? What about the tissue culture plants from France some two hundred and sixty thousand plants received over two years ago and yet not one box of bananas was exported yet u still talk of receiving another sixty thousand more tissue culture plants from France again.That< :roll: s a joke.

  22. selly
    May 5, 2017

    Bla bla bla, the US might more be able to export dasheen to Dominica soon. You know agriculture is dead, and you dricome, is performing the funeral service.

  23. BB
    May 5, 2017

    Not only dasheen Hon. Johnson Drigo. But this is a great opportunity to send out locals the the U.S…. I will gladly support

  24. Mahaut
    May 5, 2017

    Belles farmers let me tell you something male pawpaw tree thinks it can make pawpaw too.

  25. knowledgeable
    May 5, 2017

    Drigo just a short distance from Castle Bruce to La Plaine, you will get all the dasheens from St Jean’s beaten boys.

  26. ye yep
    May 5, 2017

    I have Mr. Luis and Q95 for this renewed interest in mass dasheen export. It was Mr. Louis who started it allon Mat.
    These guys are now starting to play catch up.

  27. May 5, 2017

    That is positive news , how many job will this venture create 4 the Dominican youth ?, are we gonna be able to sustain the French Islands the U.S. and the U.K.?, how long does a dasheen takes to get to maturity ?, lets do our home work so we can sustain the supply to the overseas market.[according to Obama [ce-se pwede] yes we can.

  28. Anthony Ismael, Graduate Degree in Kicks Off
    May 5, 2017

    Hopefully, I can get two “Swamp Dasheen” to buy and make soup on Saturdays, the same way I have been buying “Red Fish” exported from Dominica. Go Johnson Go. :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P

  29. Anthony Ismael, Graduate Degree in Kicks Off
    May 5, 2017

    What about fish Drigo? No stats yet on how many pounds we exported so far this year? I am still waiting for those numbers. :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P

  30. May 5, 2017

    Good progress. Can’t wait to see this happen.

  31. Looking
    May 5, 2017

    This has been on offer for quite some time now. I guess self empowerment is not so important. Dependency makes one more visible like Demi Gods.

  32. Ivory
    May 5, 2017

    This is not Feasible…..seriously the minister needs to do better than this ……looking to US for dasheen exports like they haven’t learnt anything from the collapse of the banana industry…… Dasheen farmers need to register with their extension officers and DEXIA …We all know DEXIA already has a list of Dasheen Farmers and the extension unit already has a list of farmers and their respective production figures………. #value addition….( lets talk about dasheen flour, dasheen snacks e.g chips, Dasheen cereal, frozen Callaloo packs for hotels . we need more options than just going and plant dasheen and hoping the government supports this initiative by hand picking person to give a lil pay for all their hard work…..Sir please stop trying and give us fish and teach us how to fish……Whats next on your agenda???

  33. viewsexpressed
    May 5, 2017

    Drigo, where will the dasheen come from. Certainly not from Castle Bruce, you cause your inept PM to kill all production coming from Bruce. Not even the big alleluia of the irrigation programme that got off the ground. Skerrit does not consider you as an equal and effective. run away from this man and his corrupt crew.

  34. Erasmus B. Black
    May 5, 2017

    “We will be asking you to do additional acreage to meet new markets …” The Honourable Minister for Education can probably relate to this, but wIth praedial larceny being what it is in now in our Nature Island what kinds of policing programs are being put in place to prevent the theft of agriculture produce by opportunists? Do we want another ” Dasheen House” in Belles like the “Dasheen house” in Laplaine? On another note, what happened to the 10 million dollars that the Dear Leader allegedly placed in the Aid Bank for farmers? Some readers may remember “Dasheen Laudat” a dasheen that was red inside. Is it making a comeback?

  35. Ceci
    May 5, 2017

    oh oh …Look who’s huckstering now…..

  36. zandoli
    May 5, 2017

    The biggest problem with have with farmers in Dominica is that they think of themselves as just farmers – not businessmen and women. Unless they see themselves as business people and start acting as such, the lak of supply will always be a problem.

    I work for a manufacturing company and we sell to other manufacturers. Supplying on time, every time, being competitively priced, provide a consistently good quality and service the customer; these are just some of the things we need to do to stay in business and turn profits. I do not believe these farmers understand these basic concepts.

    • zandoli
      May 5, 2017

      Instead of just exporting the raw product, have you guys considered peeling, packaging and selling “ready to cook” frozen dasheen. We sometimes by cassava and you will not see me buy the stuff you have to peel. I always buy the frozen product. It is easier to deal with.

      My wife will not peel dasheen, because it itches her hands when she handles it. But if it already peeled she would definitely buy it.

  37. Tjebe fort
    May 5, 2017

    Good luck Johnson but if we perform like we did on bananas that will die before it is born. Why that farmer had to dump his dasheen by the roadside then not so long ago? What have you done to improve that situation. I hope you succeed against the odds my friend because God only knows our farmers need the income so they can be proud again and no need to grovel.

  38. Guy you always come with some sort of lie!

    That kind of agricultural product is one that is not sold in any of the Caribbean, South American, or South Pacific Markets in the United States, or Canada. The reason is that they spoil faster than any other agricultural products.

    In all the years I am resident of the United States, and yearly visitor to Canada, that is one product I have yet to see in abundance, there are three Jamaican markets near to where I live; any agricultural products grown in Dominica are found in such markets, imported from Jamaica, although dashing are grown in Jamaica, they do not import them because they rotten while on the shelf!; and during shipment too!

    Ship a million bounds to who again!

    Liar!

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