Coffee Processing Plant coming soon – Toussaint

Dominica could soon see the construction of a much talked about Coffee Processing Plant.

Head of the Agricultural Investment Unit Dr. John Toussaint says government is currently awaiting funds from the Venezuelan government to officially start building it.

“We are going to provide assistance to farmers in the form of planning materials and fertilizers. We are also going to provide funding for the farmers to do some labour. We will be giving them plants. Farmers will be given all that at no cost and once they stick to the program and stick to the directions of the Ministry of Agriculture everything will be done properly,” he said.

He said government has made $100,000 to start propagation.

“So we expect to see the programme kicking off very soon. We expect to begin in as soon as the Venezuelan Government makes the fund available we will commence construction,” he said.

The Coffee Processing Plant is expected to be constructed at 1-Mile, Portsmouth.

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33 Comments

  1. cluke
    February 6, 2011

    doesn’t Bello produce coffee in DA already?

    Cocoa would be a better bet as a world shortage is imminent

  2. Optimistic
    February 4, 2011

    you guys are just negative people……………….. that’s why we will never rise because everybody wants to be on top but nobody wants to work collectively maybe then we will sense the true progress.

  3. wongping
    February 4, 2011

    what dominicans refuse is more than often accepted by others.the japanese are interested in a cofee plant in martinique 45kilometers from dominica

  4. CHAVEZ JR.
    February 4, 2011

    I guess some of us doesnt understand what it means to diversify. We just cannot sit on our butts and talk talk talk, hablando mucha paja y tonteria. We need to get going. Some of us has never made a meaningful contribution to country but just trying to find excuses, faults and critizising. All we need is development people. When ever u oppose some thing bring out ur alternative. ai papa!!!

    • Cerberus
      February 4, 2011

      Amigo, may I recommend you develop your grammar before commenting, so you can make a positive contribution and tell us exactly what the alternatives are. Tonteria indeed!

  5. Disclaimer
    February 4, 2011

    Hope it goes through. Let’s hope for the best. Creation of employment. Good good.

  6. seems
    February 4, 2011

    Guess the ignorance factor is a virus which dominicans get infected with when Labour speaks rubbish from their propaganda machinery….

    sadly…dont think their is a cure know to mankind for the virus called ignorance which has guttered the citizens of Dominica…

    wasnt Petro caribi a major visionary element for this history making Corrupted Labour Party
    Night landing was to turn and have upswing in the island..

    Dominicans need to be TOLD IN BOLD…..THAT THEY ARE INFECTED WITH THE IGNORANCE LIFE TREATNG VIRUS

  7. Farmer
    February 3, 2011

    Neither the Ministry of Agriculture and its Staff, nor Govt. had a clue about or planned to install any Coffee plant. Chavez unilaterally decided that is what Dominica wanted and just throw down some old equipment on us. No planning. No consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture. No meetings with farmers. NOTHING. NADA.

    No survey to find out the acreage under coffee. No clue about how much coffee in production. Now is TRIAL and ERROR. They don’t know what to do, how to begin. The equipment has been in Dominica for years now. The Minister of Agriculture, the Head of Agricultural investment are ill-suited for their respective positions and have been FAILING the FARMERS and Dominica’s Agriculture BIG TIME.

    Skerritt and his incompetent DLP Govt.operate like BEGGARS are NO CHOOSERS in rushing to accept equipment for a Coffee Plant without knowing about production, farmers capacity, the market, prices etc., etc.,etc., Agriculture has been declining and declining day after day. Farmers are living their farms in droves. The Farming Communities are getting POORER and POORER, while jobs are being CREATED for their friends. The FEW are getting richer and richer. Dominicans how often could a people be fooled and taken for so many rides? How many Dominicans know about the arrangements regarding that coffee plant operation? IS SO YOU LIKE IT?

  8. Gee
    February 3, 2011

    ****************************AND???

    You said “COMING SOON” …… it’s been over a year now!! Why don’t you just tell us when it’s finish built AND…….. in operation!!! That way you would look like a genious!!!

    • Seeing DA theatrically
      February 3, 2011

      It’s like a movie coming to theatres near you.The difference is UWP’s Prevost alias UGG rernted out the theatre to his foes peeps lol! DAis a fun movie all the way.
      So JToussaint move from artificial insemination to coffee? lol! JT will have us eat pig and coffee for breakfast.I doh want to laugh.

      • Optimistic
        February 4, 2011

        well guess what you are making a complete fool of yourself mi amigo.

  9. texas boy
    February 3, 2011

    It is so amazing that almost all the comments I’ve read signals the same sentiments, bylateral relationships with other countries are not easily formed, and both countries have a vested interest in it’s investments portfolio, when this development comes to fruition, the markets will absorb the value and some farmer some where in Dominica will be just as glad to share in it’s value. Lets be hopeful that such development brings a sign of relief for those who will execute.

    • Seeing DA theatrically
      February 3, 2011

      you have memoire poule man!Texas boy.Send some herds of cattle for JT so he can leave the coffe business alone.You must have been unborn during the cafenoir days when D/cans were not materialistic and lazy.The haitians using Da to move elsewhere so who’s going to do the planting?DA’s youth interested in sewo pants on their butt 3 cell phone top up and sexing texing too. These youth will not rise from their beds at the crack of dawn to till no land.You see em up all 3 A.M how are they to have the strenght to rise and shine?This youth looking for KFC in the morning afternoon and night pizza time.I looking forward to drinking cafe noir again in my mind.i guess if it works Chinese will be selling it to Dumbs in cans. Mark my words.

  10. If allu farmers smart
    February 3, 2011

    If allu farmers have good head, start prepping up allu farms with coffee. set up them plantations. and not to forget, it doesnt have to take the government alone to obtain a market for any of your produce. Be innovative, What if the plant never comes through, Sometimes we depend on the government to do everything for us and then when things turn sower, we blaming them. Is true it may be difficult but we are capable. Unity is the key

    • Seeing DA theatrically
      February 3, 2011

      They not depending on Gov’t they depending on Chavez lol!

    • The truth
      February 4, 2011

      I’m here preaching like a pastor to Dominicans everyday. They think is only government to help them. I’m not living at home in Dominica but all of my income comes from Dominica. That’s because I use my brain and develop businesses in the same Dominica that they claim have no jobs. And thing is, I’m in my mid twenties. I have been trying to start trading to bring in some new products to Dominica which I can only do online. However, Dominicans don’t know about Internet trading and this that do don’t use it. The other maybe don’t have a bank account or a card for Internet trading. And those with accounts, some don’t even know that they can buy online. I’m still working on that so look out later this year. That’s how our business should run. Gov have nothing to do with entrepreneurs

  11. de caribbean change
    February 3, 2011

    To be constructed at 1-Mile, Portsmouth – Is that another vision of Lazy Ian Douglas’s ambition?

    • timbok 2
      February 3, 2011

      i was checkin the same thing…all of a sudden they talkin about it again..comin soon

  12. the truth
    February 3, 2011

    it is about time that dominica started doing these things. not just for export but for ourselves too. i’m looking at dominica without a factory to rear meat. not one! all that would create jobs for farms. bring on the coffee i say and a rearing plant next. because dominica need to be self sustainable before we even think of export to be honest. and the processed meat at tongue or whatever the name of the meat shop just doesnt cut it

  13. Cassandra
    February 3, 2011

    I am all for diversification and income generation.However, In view of the fact that Venezuela has become an importer of coffee because its own farmers have ceased growing this crop because of government price control the following questions present themselves:

    – to produce a first crop will take between 3/5 years. Do farmers have enough capital reserve to live on in the mean time?
    – given the above, what will the plant produce whilst waiting for that first crop to be become available? It does not make economic sense to have it either stand idle or produce below break-even efficiency level for all that time.
    – will the farmers be allowed to sell their crop in the open market or will they be obliged to sell to a state (semi state) organisation that sets the price.
    – what are the intended markets for this coffee?. Given that it is a commodity subject to world market prices, will we be able to compete?

    I am asking because it would only be natural, in return for giving the farmers the plant stock, inputs and start-up capital, to want to have a guaranteed supply in return.

    • true say
      February 3, 2011

      I guess the option is to start by importing raw material. As long s there is an overall surplus, it will still be good. eventually the farmers will pick up

    • Farmer's Son
      February 3, 2011

      Cassandra has posed some important questions. The answers to most of those questions should come from government as part of the coffee development program. Unfortunately the program has not been spelled out publicly. Therefore, it is up to those farmers wishing to participate in the coffee program to press the officials for answers to their legitimate concerns. It would be foolish for anyone to invest resources into a program when there are so many information gaps.

      Having said that, I think that Dr. Toussaint should be given credit for publicly admitting that Venezuela has not released the funds for construction of the processing plant. Meanwhile, don’t be surprised if we see more ‘soon come’ releases from government.

    • Just as it is.
      February 4, 2011

      garanteed supply?? When D/ca farmers were productive and willing to work hard they supply was never sufficient.Now with the farmers of the 80’s dead retired and feeble who’s going to do the planting?This new generation? Look at the mainly youthful gov’t what have they resorted to? The thoughts and answers are your choice.Mines are international panhandlingUndisclosed MOU with China & Chavez etc, Tim recently told us drugs! idoh know about that. But nobody ever asked him about who in drugs and who’s not.He even took it to a personal level(the next level) which he apparently practiced long before when he spoked and labelled his pad in mero as a slaughter house.So idoh know who going to plant the coffee.I know the young young administration and a few old ones will need keep drinks after their sexual encounters in DA’s macow areas like Posse.
      They need to fight the sleep after hard nights.

  14. Deoborah
    February 3, 2011

    Everything in Dominica “Soon Come”.

    • TreBlue
      February 3, 2011

      When when it come allu 1st in line

  15. Hugo Grotius
    February 3, 2011

    Good luck with that, the price of coffee is manipulated, didn’t u see what a leader in Africa do the other day, all u fellas always have to be told what to do with all you degrees, you can earn more from corn & soybeans in my neck of the woods. Mark my words, farmers will not remain producing coffee, they will have price problems like bananas, all u too sot.

    • the truth
      February 3, 2011

      ao if they so stupid then why dont people like you make suggestions? say what you think dominica need to help its farmers. because every country has farmers. and dominica needs something for farmers. if they so sot then suggest something. maybe u all on road doing nothing from the sound of your moronic rant and then going and disrespect the people trying to do something, anything for the country

  16. MzEducated
    February 3, 2011

    How soon is soon? We’ve been hearing that alot of things are coming soon. We’ve been waiting on

    LIAT to start making night trips into Dominica for sometime and all that’s being said is that it will soon

    happen. Let’s see how soon is soon for this plant

    • the truth
      February 3, 2011

      that how project go man. not just dca. and dca smaller than most countries. i see project got set back by yrs so i thinkit will come

      • MzEducated
        February 3, 2011

        Well, all we can do is wait and see.

  17. Jenny from the Block
    February 3, 2011

    hmmmm I’ll believe it when I see it……….very nice idea though

  18. Truth
    February 3, 2011

    Soon, Soon, Soon…
    I’ll be the President of America soon, I’ll be a brain surgeon soon, I’ll have quintoplets soon, I’ll be the Mayor of Roseau soon, I’ll fly to the moon soon.
    Soon, Soon, Soon…

    • Hmmmmmm
      February 3, 2011

      lol

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