In the budget presentation the Prime Minister stated and I quote “Government’s plan is to maintain agriculture as a leading contributor to economic growth.”
That statement in itself sounds very good, and without a doubt that was the intent of it to sound good, to create a good impression and to make believe that our intentions are real, just and the development of the sector is our focus.
I want to hasten to say, that I have watched and observed the policies, plans and programs of this government for a number of years and I have concluded and the information speaks for itself, that there is very little interest in Agriculture and for the most part lip service is paid to the development of agriculture in this country.
There is no will to do anything serious about it because there are obvious advantages for the government to keep the rural population at a stage where they can always influence and manipulate the decision making process of these people. Agriculture has never been and it still is not a priority for this government.
While I will admit that the minister is a good young man with great energies and enthusiasm at his work, the choice of him as the minister for Agriculture speaks volumes of the governments focus to maintain agriculture as a leading contributor to the economy. He does not possess the “political influence” and capacity needed to get policies pass the “heads”, that are needed to revive this sector.
As I read carefully through the programs intended to maintain agriculture as a leading contributor to economic growth, I realize that these activities intend to take us back 10 years and to seek to reestablish a platform that was deliberately destroyed and then to see if they can find the way back to where we should have been.
Firstly I want to state that the devastation that Black Sigatoka was allowed to unleash on our banana and plantain industry is clear evidence of the lack of commitment to the industry and the impact it can have on economic development. I say this, having worked in the department of agriculture as a supervisor for a number of years, before I resigned. Having been a part of the many trainings which were conducted jointly with all stake holders of the industry, as far back as around 2005-2006.
Back then the impact of the disease on our country was assessed, since it was already present in our neighboring countries and strategies and systems were put in place to monitor and identify early warning signs of the presence of the disease on island.
Additionally emergency action plans were developed for dealing with the infestation once it was spotted. So to have allowed it to reach the levels it reached is an indication of neglect of responsibilities and failure to activate and to follow through with the systems which were instituted to fight the disease.
The recovery programme intends to be fueled by the use of tissue cultured plants (just to let us know that most of the bananas which were destroyed by the disease were tissue cultured). More importantly, is the fact that the expectations of the programme is that yields are expected to be 7 tonnes per acre. In 2005 -2006 there was a drive to move production from 7 and 8 tonnes per acre to 10 because it was very subsistence, uneconomical and unproductive at that tonnage.
A simple calculation of production of bananas at 7 tonnes planted at 8X8 triangular spacing will reveal a production of 22 lbs per bunch when an average weight per box is around 35lbs . So in 2015 – 2016 in a renewed move to boost the industry, if our projected targets are 7 tones, it means something is either wrong with us or very little or no thought has been put into this initiative or we really don’t intend for it to have much impact, but just so that it is not said we neglect agriculture.
Sadly this is happening while at the same time in our region there is a massive influx or an invasion of our markets by bananas from our same European competitors.
Are we really serious at economic growth and making agriculture a leader? Let blind eyes be opened.
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One important question we have to ask is: Are Dominicans willing to go back to the soil they way we did 30 to 50 years ago? Another questions is: Have Dominicans demonstrated to the government a strong desire to till the soil again?
When we depended on agriculture as the only sector where economic activities were taking place in Dominica,all energy and resources of the country were focused on the agricultural sector.today their is concentration on developing others sectors of the economy,so it is clear the focus on agriculture is not as intense as in the past.the people who are engaged in politics non stop are the talk show host of all political parties.i do not know why the Dominicans people are afraid to say so.
Bige Pete…The writer of the article made some general comments about the decline of agriculture as support for the Dominican Economy and used bananas as a leading example.. since bananas were such a dominant force in previous years,, What do you think is needed to put agriculture back in its place of dominance and is anyone in “high authority” listening to you or anyone else???
“Government’s plan is to maintain agriculture as a leading contributor to economic growth.”(Skerrit).
Those words are nothing more than sweet sounding words Skerrit knows his illiterate supporters wish to hear. They talk about young farmers, but if we check into the young farms educational background we may find that they are all illiterate, and has no alternative.
When we get into agriculture, we are talking about the science; art, or practice of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock in varying degrees, in the preparation, and marketing of the resulting products. We do not know what Roosevelt Skerrit means by agriculture will be the leading contributor to economic growth.
I doubt that anyone at this time believe that the sale of Bananas will be the leader, if we are thinking in terms of a poultry industry, every individual in Dominica will have to commenced growing chicken as of to day, and if Skerrit believes that will help the economy he is on…
If Skerrit believes that will help the economy he is on another planet. Beef is another thing, we cannot sustain a beef industry in the country, because there is not enough space to raise enough cows to slaughter and export meet.
If all the agricultural products he is proposing are to be consumed locally, it will not be profitable by any means; unless one has something to export, and bring in some forging exchange, the country is not going to move one step forward. Tourism on the other hand brings money into all countries, even the great United Stats. Whereas we are not taking any significant step to do what it takes to get people interested in the country, our unless beating of our gums, and talking nonsense is not going to help. Skerrit can fool the ignorant about the building of hotels, without an International Airport, and some advertising of the country, internationally, nothing is going to change in Dominica.
We can write Nature island in the middle of the sky, that is…
We can write Nature island in the middle of the sky, that is not going to help, it that could help, Dominica would be the only place in the universe the tourist would wish to visit!
“cows to slaughter and export meet.”
Dem say I doh know how to spell and write English, so ah making sure dem know I boy talking about “meat” that we eat, and not meet like meeting someone.
I dunce, but I doh so dunce oui!
We really need to revisit the historical programs of past labour administrations .At the peak In the 70,s there was a very diversified AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS under the Ministry of Agriculture -Minister OJSERAPHIN-Cane production under the Cane producers cooperative was in full force so was the patchouli essential oils program and bay oil as well as the coconut rehab and coffee rehab projects .
We entered then in the largest and most aggressive distribution ownership of lands under the LAND management authority with lands distributed to youth groups and the Rasta community for agriculture in places like KIAMBOK in Marigot as well as TERRE FERME in Newfoundland .
We saw the land distribution in WET AREA at the Gleau Gommier area Belles
there was land acquisition of the LROSE AND Company of Soufriere ..Bellevue Chopin Trafalgar Morne Prosper and Wotten Waven as well as Layou
Historians have gone silent on the land reform of that administration -which included Portsmouth area etc
Today, I will use two analogies to bring this article into sharp focus: 1) When you meet a woman wearing slippers aka flip-flop you should never buy her high heels because she will leave you after the elevation in attire. 2) Square pegs in wrong holes. The first analogy refers to government being afraid of farmers becoming independent with a thriving Agriculture industry. The second analogy refers to the minister lack of experience to manage the Ministry of Agriculture. Let him with eyes see.
Nature Island Farms (N.I.F)
I do believe that commentary is a little bit misguided…. you are making a case for Bananas, not argriculture…. we can no longer depend on Bananas only…. been there done that…Argriculture is much bigger than that….i too worked in the industry for years and was an advocate for diversification… but back then no one in high authourity would listen….please let us not make that mistake again… we all must play our part to ensure that Argriculture is once again one of the main drivers of our economy.
the fact is that this govt has not been able to find a replacement mono crop for bananas. they have failed. Our history will show that there has always been a mono-crop while we diversify with other non mono crops.