PROPEL injects CAD$50,000 in agriculture sector

White potatoes
White potatoes

White potato farmers in Dominica are to benefit from a financial assistance of $50,000 Canadian-Dollars(CAD) for the 2015/2016 season, courtesy of the Promotion of Regional Opportunities for Produce through Enterprises and Linkages (PROPEL).

Agriculture Minister, Johnson Drigo made that announcement during a signing ceremony between the government of Dominica and PROPEL held at the Ministry of Agriculture conference room on Wednesday.

According to him the government and the ministry will do all in its powers to assist farmers in moving the industry forward.

He said also that several organizations have come on board to assist Dominica in this effort.

“This $50,000 Canadian- dollars will go directly into high end plants what is known elite plants, that is the type of plants that we will be purchasing which will allow us in 2016 to target the high end markets in the region,” Drigo said.

He stated further that white potato farmers on island have been doing well recently.

“I am very excited, I know the white potato farmers they have been doing remarkably well in recent times and I can say to them that very soon when the new season comes on which is around November, December they will be receiving high quality plants to really push the white potato project forward,” Drigo explained.

Meantime Director of Agriculture Ricky Brumant said this intervention is timely following the passage of Tropical Storm Erika.

“This is so timely given the post Erika scenario where the idea of instilling an inspiration, a hope for our farmers and our industry,” he noted. “We in the ministry, we in the division we are very well pleased, we are elated for the work that we have insure beyond now.”

Brumant revealed that white potatoes grown is Dominica is of high quality and is much better as indicated by consumers as compared to what is being imported.

“With PROPEL’s intervention, understanding the areas the we have outlined, we are looking forward to a better potato, we are looking forward to a wholesome potato, we are looking towards a potato that we know how it is grown, we know where it is grown and we can rest assure that consumers in Dominica that we are eating wholesome foods,” he stated.

The PROPEL project is implemented by the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) with support from the government of Canada through the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD).

It is also being implemented in 8 beneficiary countries across the Caribbean and they are inclusive of members of the OECS inclusive of Barbados, St Lucia, Grenada, St Vincent & the Grenadines and Dominica.

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3 Comments

  1. Brenda Fall
    October 9, 2015

    What I want to know is when are the dasheen, yam and sweet potato farmers going to get a financial boost? For years those were the ground provisions that made generations of Dominicans have stiff backbones and good health (not to mention good work ethics and good moral character) . Now obesity and high blood pressure plagues hordes of people, thanks to the fact people have forgotten how to eat those things. All they looking for is ramen, KFC and white potato. :-?

  2. Zandoli
    October 8, 2015

    Has the agriculture department considered the Yukon Gold potato? I find it a much more tasty variety than the white.

  3. Titiwi
    October 8, 2015

    I did not know we had white potato farmers in Dominica. I thought most of them are black. I’m learning all the time (…maybe we are not allowed to call them Irish anymore for political reasons??).

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