Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has announced that the government intends to put a minimum of $10-million in place for farmers in Dominica in the next national budget.
He was speaking at the official registration ceremony of the Belles Farmers Cooperative Society Ltd held at the Pilgrim Holiness Church in Belles on Thursday.
According to him, the monies will be placed in the AID Bank to assist farmers directly.
“In the budget of this year you will see a significant sum of monies that will be directed to farming in Dominica, not only farming access roads, not only support to the farmers through the various programmes in the Ministry of Agriculture, but we intend to put a minimum of $10 million…,” he said.
He said it will be for farmers with no working capital.
“The intention of this money is that many of us, as farmers, we do not have working capital, we do not have some money in our hands to be able to clear the land and pay the people right away, to pay for farm labour, to buy inputs and that is a major strain for farmers across Dominica,” Skerrit stated.
He remarked that farmers will be able to receive loans from the AID Bank at an interest rate of three percent with a grace period of no less than four months before they start paying back to the Bank.
“And plus, under the Banana Accompanying Measures, we have about $2.6 million that will go to farmers in terms of assisting you on the farm…” Skerrit said.
Not again, loud mout open. Bel tory come out strong .Same ole lies and more lies and fool fool promises/
Show us the result of the past 10 years crying you have invested in agriculture with benefits, show us the benefits. Only benefits are Red politicians happy……
HMMMMM
He must invest in agriculture. Create wealth for all Dominicans not just a few. And not just to labour supporters as if he would lol
if 10 million ever was to be invested in agriculture, skerrit would only supply the labour supporters with assistance… mr louis don’t get any assistance and he is making a significant contribution just because he is vocal about the abuse and mismanagement of the government…
assignment, the penville farmers featured on DNO receiving over 200k assistance… they never received that money and they only speak about it to themselves… they are cowards, afraid to ask about the whereabout of that money
Four months would be a bit soon as, depending on the crops grown, the farmers would not start earning an income as yet. Secondly, make sure that the farmers have market for their crops upon maturity.
Too bad agriculture has become more of an after thought in Dominica. This is sad, almost treasonous. Agriculture??
Can all farmers apply or only the ones with the red party bible?
Figures, figures but we all know that the real farmers ain’t gonna see a dime or benefit otherwise from it.
Ten million is nothing. Don’t forget that we are living in a storm proned region. Consider the economic impact of other disasters before Erika, and add up the damages to the agri industry. Allocating doesn’t mean we have to spend all that money in one budget year. Filter in the effect of Erika, and $10 million is a drop in the bucket. Skerrit ought to reel and come again.
loans? Is that a joke? before you offer farmers loans that they cannot pay back why don’t you mandate that DEXIA take over the licensing agreement of fair trade of merger these 2 entities and ensure they look after the farming business, to include assistance to farmers, taking care of the marketing, crop insurance and all these other activities which existed under the DBMC. The ministry of agriculture must bring back the feeder road program that once existed under the ministry, only then you can think of giving farmers loans,
in 2009 there was a 2 million that was put into the aid bank for the farmers, many farmers and non farmers apply under the scheme, who got 80k 100k 150k and when the extension officer will past on the farmers to report back to the ministry all there was an open foot ball field without any green house any pig pen any foul pen nothing that you can say money was well spent.
as a farmer myself i also got some of that money with lots of product to show and employ many young persons,
the sad part of the story is that many farmers never paid back this money to the aid bank because everyone see is as an election gimmick at the time and it was nothing but that .
many of the farmers who also receive this money became worst off than they was befor getting this money,
my conclusion is that this money was never intended for the right reason i see it as devil money.in other words LAJUAO DIABB.
The Government, ONE MAN IS AGAIN faking us. During the recent banana demonstration in Marigot, the supposed to be Minister of agriculture said the farmers have not yet exhausted the local market. Dominica cannot be producing bananas for the local market Mr. Minister. 80% of Dominicans should be in a possession to grow their food. Mr Government – ONE MAN =- good you can put money in the AID Bank for farmers, but make sure there is a supporting marketing component or more specific a market for the production of whatever is to be produced. Mr Government – ONE MAN = those farmers like the one in the picture must have access to an outside market, other wise those loans or grants will go to grass.
$200 for those farmers who do not fly the red flag, if they lucky.
FOOLING the people is their business
this peanuts. this amount says that farmers are in the low priority bracket.
what he really will do is allocate 10 million for farmers ,get it approved then use it for something else but in the processes all his sheep will be fooled and so it is.I have not seen any real money put into agriculture for over 15 years…all you will fool yours but you will not fool us..WE ARE NOT FOR SALE …
U hit the nail right on the head my boy that’s the gospel truth!