(DNO) A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has officially been signed between the government of Dominica and Venezuela for work to begin on a coffee processing plant and the rehabilitation and expansion of coffee acreages in Dominica.
This morning, Minister of Agriculture Matthew Walter said at the signing ceremony that the initiative should be seen as an opportunity to transform Dominica’s economy.
“This is one example that certainly can create a major positive impact in the agriculture sector and I need to thank profusely the President of the Republic of Venezuela…,” Walter said.
According to him, the “Coffee Grand National Company has as its objective, the production, processing, marketing, distribution and commercialisation of coffee on the basis of reciprocity, solidarity, complimentary and mutual respect of sovereignty in accordance with the laws of each country…”
Among the responsibilities of Dominica under the MOU, 50,000 square feet or 1.5 acres has to be provided to establish the coffee processing plant. This area of land has been cleared and made available at One Mile Portsmouth, according to Walter.
The minister also stated that an additional responsible of Dominica would be to also provide a slab of approximately 20,000 square feet to install the structure as well as appropriate fencing. Dominica will also provide water and basic utilities and land available for demonstration and training of coffee producers.
Venezuela will produce the design for the plant, the construction of the shed supply and is responsible for the installation and commencement of coffee processing. They will also provide training for locals in the field.
Walter expressed his confidence in Dominica’s ability to one day produce a top quality brand name coffee. He said that it is up to the populace to embrace the opportunity.
Meanwhile, minister from the Venezuelan Embassy Francisco Anzola said that the project should be seen as not just a factory and coffee plant but an opportunity for Dominicans to have a improved standard of living.
Acting Director of Agriculture Richard Alport who also spoke at the ceremony, informed that there are about 75 acres of coffee which can be immediately rehabilitated for production. He said that the target is 300-400 acres.
Alport said that high altitude areas such as Syndicate will be major areas for coffee growing. According to him, a project has been sent to Ministry of Finance for funding which will help provide incentives to farmers to get involved in coffee processing.
Alport said that free distribution of propagating planting materials for farmers involved in the system are among other incentives.
The coffee plant equipment was shipped down here from Venezuela last July and has since been temporarily stored at a Goodwill parking house.
ofcourse if it came from obama we would accept it ..Gladly .. and its not about hypocrisy. it just looks a lil shady coming from a place whose leader openly says he uses coca paste.. what does that say about us. nothing wrong wanting transparency. nothing wrong with being on the safe side. check out regularly this country who is giving us the plant.. check out the attitude of the leader…
too many negative ppl live in this country. AND we wonder why we’er so slow in moving forward. How could anyone object to bringing jobs to DA? Our kids finish school and has nothing to do but all we do is complain about things that is good for our home. JOBS BABY,J OBS, IDOITS>>>>
Hmmm coffee takes at least 5 years before it will begin producing so it is a good idea to encourage the current acerage into viable production. It would be in the best interest of the current farmers to explore the realm of specialty organic coffee markets at least now they will have a processing facility.
My only concern is the deforestation that will occur in clearing the land for coffee plantations (if the coffee is to be grown locally). With deforestation comes a whole host of other problems.
Deforestation comes with soo many buildings on dominica, we should live in tree houses
DOMINICANS, DOMINICANS are too NEGATIVE/ NEGROTIVE, we are going to grow the coffee and get a state of the art processing plant to make the coffee, all this is done for our own benifit, plus our people will be trained to operate the machinery to process the coffee.
I’m sure you all will be flocking down there for jobs when the plant open, all that is apart of our agriculture, think of Bellot Coffee, we can improve our quotas.
Then again, if OBAMA was donating the plant, all you would welcome it, such hyprocrites.
GOD WILL CONTINUE TO BLESS DOMINICA AND KEEP US OUT OF THOSE WHO PRAY FOR OUR DOOM, IT WILL FALL BACK ON THEM.
GOD BLESS SKERRIT, DLP AND HUGO CHAVEZ.
Get off your high horses people. Just looking for another reason to get hand outs instead of working.
T.H is speaking as the PM
How can you now be signing an MOU when the equipment for the so called coffee plant has been in Dominica for almost a year. It makes absolutely no sense. It’s like working backwards.
And people like the “Honorable Minister” have no shame in their game.
while i do not want to sound like a preacher of doom, i however have to wonder where our priorities are and who thinks for us???
This is a clear demonstration of the government inaptitude to take care of the business of the country based on the assesed need of this country.
Why there are no visible incentives for our farmers who are producing the foods that we can grow and which we know how to do it well. THIS FOOD THAT WE NEED!!!!!!!
A country has to put itself in a position to be self sufficient when it comes to food security. ..(seems that this is foreign to our minister of Agriculture..).
Yes we must diversify our economy and even our agricultural production but this must be done by first strenghtening and stabilizing our food production and then accomodate these new experiences.
No one knows how it is going to turn out with this coffee experiment …… Just remember the seasoning pepper thing ……
The market is a very bad place to be on because it takes home no casualties, it’s either you are fit for the market or you are dead. you must be able to offer what others can’t or else you are cooked.
Think of the capabilities of Colombia in that market place???????
But something is telling me that we will soon be importing the coffee beans from.. V………… and here a gain we will be used as the transhipment point to the rest of the caricom…lol
Wonderful! Could you tell Dominicans where are the Bajans getting all the agricultural fruits to include Grapefruits and Oranges to process that we now import their orange and grapefruit juices?
You may wish to tell the Dominican people how many acres of cocoa plants are there in the US, and how do they get about to process cocoa into chocolate and drinks as Milo and Ovaltine? Surely, anything to help develop Dominica and Dominicans has a problem for people like you. What’s wrong with inporting beans from our neighbours, say, St. Lucia, St. vincent and Grenada and in return export to them?
Gloom and Doom prophet you are. Lets encourage the less fortunate and farmer with land to grow the crop and within five years we will be self sufficient and help sustain our self and country. Jobs will be created not only for the farmers, but a cross section of the work force.
Go for it Mr. Minister. We need more processing plants. Maybe we might just be able to incorporate an agro-processing plant and thereby canned a lot of our other fruits.
you are so funny………. one simple question… should we accept a coffee plant from venezuela and we have no coffee or should we negotiate for a agro processing plant for teh crops we already have.. i am sure if the venezuelans are in our interest they would agree a coffee plant is not viable
Can the Minister tell us what is the break-even throughput of this plant and where is the product to be sold?
oh my god!!!!!!!!!!!!
i thought it was a joke before but are they serious?????
so we going to import coffee just to make coffee to send back to venezuela?????
way papa….we doomed!!!!!
You sound just like all the other Dumb Dominicans that had to talk bad about the stadium…at the end of the day it is the peoole like you who are going to flock to the it for JOBS you people are 1st in line. Just like the stadium party and VIP stands same ppl who said it would never build it was a waste of time the sample ppl filling in the VIP boths.. You are going to be the same ppl 1st in line for a job. I waiting for a reply when the factory turn around to be a God sent to alot of farmersAND WORKERS.
i am an objective person…………. very few people if any criticised the statium. but believe me any body with common sense should realize that a coffee plant is bull crap… is time we are objective and not just support everything the party u vote for do….. LORD SAVE DOMINICA…NEVA THOUGHT WE HAD SO MANY DUMB PPL HERE BEFORE