Government is currently negotiating with the Government of Venezuela for the construction of a cassava processing plant in Castle Bruce.
Agriculture Minister Mathew Walter made the disclosure in Sinekou last week while responding to suggestions by a member of the Kalinago community that much recognition is not being given to cassava.
But Walter affirmed that government has not closed its eyes on cassava.
“The Castle Bruce farmers requested a processing plant and negotiations are still going on and we are optimistic that the farmers will get it. In addition to that, a consultancy was undertaken in the area of value added to root crop and cassava was part of that,” he said.
Cassava is one of the crops used in the Carib Territory for making farine and cassava bread.
Lord help us. Why not a citrus fruit processing plant? Something that we have in abundance.
Interesting location……….
A coffe plant, a cssava plant, a dasheen plant, …. What next? This is a piecemeal approach to
Agro-processing. we need a better approach to utilizing our lacal foods to become mainstream.
We need a multi -faceted Agro processing plant that can utilize our local products into ready
to eat or prepared foods. let’s get seriuos man!!
Neg stop acting like a damn neg. It really strikes me that no matter what this gov does to better the land and ppl u blue devils don’t like it. Just like the reps haying everything big O does in the US. why don’t u start ur ownplant? Go gather up some investors and pitch them ur idea. You ppl flap gums all day till they bleed blue. Smfh
Will DA eventually stop dealing with a dictatorship like the Venezuelan regime ?
One day, DA will be so dependable of Chavez, that this crazy dictator will simply take the control of DA , directly or indirectly, man !
Yes! Agro-processing plants are the way forward for agricultural diversification and sustainable agriculture in Dominica. Please tell the politicians to stop preaching the banana illusion. I hope that the South East will get some sort of plant like Plantain Chips factory or something.
Negotiate for a PLANTAIN and cassava processing plant in Castle Bruce.
The hard working Castle Bruce farmers need a plantain processing plant too.
During a bumper harvest the price for a bunch of plantains drops dramatically because the quantity produced is more than the market for it and farmers may prefer to let the crop rot than to give away or sell at very little or no profit.
The most unexplored use of plantain is its capacity to produce flour. It’s also eco friendly as the barks of the plantain tubers can be recycled to give natural fertilisers
Processing plantains into flour and using the flour recipes is worth looking into as the produce contains high nutritional value such as vitamin A, iron and potassium as against cassava which contains only carbohydrate but is currently more popular than plantain when it comes to processing them into flour.
Both plantain and cassava are useful to diabetics and plantain and cassava chips are big sellers throughout the Caribbean, USA and increasingly in Europe.
Dominican farmers are very hard working.
It’s the minister’s role to get out and about and make sure all farmers get the information and funding they need, the farming sector needs to be periodically subsidised.
Be more proactive in trying to find a market for the glut of vegetables as a result of bumper crops.
Government should actively promote ‘eat what you grow’ and encourage and educate consumers to consume more locally grown natural healthy produce instead of always running for a quick fix to the imported fast food outlets with their fast food loaded with sugar and other ‘preservatives.’
True, but then it is identical to Banana or any of the Musa ssp.
You know what despite the general tendency to politicize everything in Dominica, we must admit that any kind of agroprocessing is welcomed in Dominica as we have many a raw material going to waste in the fields. I mean, we import Pine Hill juice from Barbados, and Barbados doesn’t even supply its own fruit for that juice, they import. Therefore if we can package what we grow, just think of the direction we could go people…
Yah – Kassava ferine will do the trick. Sort zor Sort. – According to the preacher in zicack. Kentucky, subway and other TV food is what Dominicans buying – I am not sure if Dominicans are going to buy Kassava.
As for me I’m too old for that Kassava bread- My dentures will fall out.
Talk for yourself. I buy my cassava bread in the Carib Territory all the time. Yum Yum! And I always have to wait in a line.
That’s old news, DNO! Venezuelan assistance for the processing of cassava was pursued since Lorraine Bannis’ time as MP. She travelled to Venezuela to discuss this.
MR MINISTER PLEASE DO SOMETHING FOR FARMERS FAST BEFORE LIKE VINCY WE START TO PLANT GRASS
Good idea.
Lol…
Why Castle Bruce? I thought the Kalinago Territory would be the place for that. Just asking….
Halt your ignorance, Castle is part of Dominica.
That is the idea Mr Matthew Walters, target ——————-> Agro processing. We have too much raw materials going to waste. We need to empower ourselves, feed ourselves and export to others, start competing and contributing to the world so that we can obtain a dollar to feed our families.
C ou te noway sa ou te k fey .u jealous b ready to work n stop hating people sot et sot
IF THE CAP FIT YOU BABE WEAR IT!!!!!!!!!!! I GUESS U ONE OF THOSE SITTING RIGHT THERE IN ANTIGUA THAT NEVER BOTHER TO COME BACK HOME