3,932 farmers to benefit from Agricultural Emergency Response Grant

Drigo said the grant is a short-term mobilization response to Maria

Some 3,932 qualified farmers who were affected by Hurricane Maria are expected to benefit from an Agricultural Emergency Response Grant.

A contract was signed with the Dominica Agricultural Industrial & Development Bank (AID Bank) on Thursday which will be administering the grant to the farmers on the behalf of the government.

Nine hundred commercial farmers will receive EC$10,000 each and 3,032 farmers will receive EC$3,000 each from the World Bank-funded programme.

Agriculture Minister, Johnson Drigo, described the grant as a “short-term mobilization response to the negative impact of Hurricane Maria to the farming community.”

“Farmers and fishers may have a ready source of funds to be used for the restoration of crops and livestock production and fishing operation,” he said.

He said the program will buffer “short-term loss of income” suffered by farmers.

“And therefore allow farmers, fishers to have reasonable funds to facilitate their business operation recovery effort,” Drigo said.

He explained that 900 commercial farmers will be awarded a fixed grant of EC$10,000 per beneficiary while 3,032 small commercial beneficiaries will be awarded grants of EC$,3,000.

“Farmers and fishers who have not met the above criteria will be given an amount of $1,000 per beneficiary,” Drigo stated.

He thanked farmers who have returned to their farms since the hurricane.

“Your efforts have ensured that there is an adequate supply of short-term crops and vegetables and of course if you visit our markets, our markets are blooming with the short term crops and vegetables,” he stated.

The grant is worth EC$18,817,400 and is provided by the World Bank under the Disaster Vulnerability Response Project.

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24 Comments

  1. Real farmer
    January 19, 2018

    What you should do Mr. Drigo is have some balls and publish all the names of the farmes who received assistance and the amount they received..i Will then come to my own conclusions because I am on the ground…i guess you are saying..not a chance of that happening because you have your Palls collecting thousands while the don’t have a chive plant in the soil….

    • Paul Rossnof
      January 20, 2018

      Yes that about sums it up. No money gone to Marigot and Salisbury….

  2. Beauboi
    January 19, 2018

    All that money Dominica get 3900 farmers hmm ailas boyy.

  3. Anthony P. Ismael Minister of Free Pampers
    January 19, 2018

    Drigo, I am taking in these numbers with a big spoon of salt. Remember that you told us Dominica exported over two million pounds of fish in 2016 and that number could not be verified independently either. Anyway, fly your kite.

    • Paul Rossnof
      January 20, 2018

      These guys think all Dominicans are as stupid as they are!!

  4. Jonathan Y St Jean
    January 19, 2018

    This agriculture minister hasn’t seen a handout or giveaway he didn’t like.He is most giddy and exhubarant when it’s about handouts for the farmers but nothing about self sufficiency and building a sustainable agricultural sector that will provide goods for consumption,processing and export,towards generating revenue and employment for national development.”Too chaud too flam” waste of time agricultural minister is only a seat warmer and Skerritt stooge.

  5. thethingswesay
    January 19, 2018

    “Farmers and fishers who have not met the above criteria will be given an amount of $1,000 per beneficiary,” Drigo stated.

  6. Clergy
    January 19, 2018

    So long they mentioned that, farmers should have been in top priority. No indication of how oversight will occur. ..smells of a fiasco to take so long on farming, I think they have dropped the ball on farming.

  7. Ittassi too
    January 18, 2018

    I am happy for Dominicans because not Skerrit and his close associates alone Should get our money. However based on the turn out I saw at a farmers meeting in VielleCase, I can say boldly that the majority of those attended are not farmers and if that’s the case in other districts , it is going to be a continuation of the same old nonsense.

  8. January 18, 2018

    Nice move sir and I do appreciate the effort but please fix those Farm roads for the farmers they need better access to their farms. I was in Dominica and went to my parents farm and oh boy I feel for these Farm vehicles . The roads are in a dilapidated state . At list fill up those pot holes ? Also I do hope the farmers use the money for what’s for.

  9. Just Cool
    January 18, 2018

    I support this initiative however there should be a follow up by technical experts for every 3 months until 2019. They would be task to provided technical assistance in growing operation,finance etc. NOt jus give them money but not follow up with them to ensure they putting it to use. Accountability they way forward. Also help them secure markets overseas to encourage direct foreign investment. 8)

  10. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    January 18, 2018

    What is  Drigo Dominica definition of a “commercial farmer?”  A farmer is simply a farmer; as long as that person or group  of people are  involve in the cultivation of land crops; or raises animals, or fish, and chicken (foul) too!

    The mention of commercial farmer is nonsense, because that term signifies commerce: which could mean social intercourse; or interchange of ideas, opinions, or sentiments. As well as the exchange, or buying and selling of commodities on a large scale involving transportation from place to place.

    No farmer in Dominica is involve in the latter!

    So if we are all into farming, why give me ten thousand dollars, and to another three thousand, and to those who they term the nobody are given single thousand dollars? The whole idea is simply bogus, just another political hogwash poly!

    • January 18, 2018

      Everything done by government you oppose. Do you expect a farmer with a ten acre farm to get the same as a farmer with a one acre farm?

      • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
        January 19, 2018

         “Johnson Drigo, described the grant as a “short-term mobilization response to the negative impact of Hurricane Maria to the farming community.” 

        If you were not an idiot you would have understand the simple point I made; did Drigo base his argument on the amount of land the farmer cultivates. Who is a commercial farmer in Dominica?

        People like you are so ignorant it’s a waste of time to read your ignorant comment.

        What is the meaning of mobilization? For your development only; it means to assemble and make ready for war duty, or simply support for a proposal! 

        So if that is the case, whereas all the farmers are getting mobilized to go into combat of whatever is proposed, how come the money needed for the ready cannot be divided equally?

        You need to just shut up; every dangling carrot these waste of time guys hang over your heads gets you excited, but in the final analysis, only their supporters gets their pound of beef!

      • Dominican
        January 19, 2018

        Common sense dictates that the aid should not be determined by the size of the farm but by the value of its output and future potential. Some guys have farmland that has not produced a bean for years.

  11. January 18, 2018

    Good job! Bring back de fig!

  12. January 18, 2018

    This recovery is of utmost importance. The Ministry of Agriculture has been doing a remarkable job to help farmers since the passage of Maria. Agriculture bears the major brunt of natural disaster and this hurricane has greatly challenged our production, but with this assistance commercial farmers will be able to do more for themselves and for those who rely on their crops.
    Keep up the good work.

    • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
      January 18, 2018

      What good work is the ministry of agriculture doing when the traditional banana plant no longer exist in Dominica?

      When you see a banana plant which cannot produce a sucker: In other words  cannot multiply itself, because it is genetically altered, as such plants are imported from France developed in an experimental greenhouse, is that what you give credit  for to Drigo?

      The banana plants you see growing in Dominica this day grows on dangerous chemicals,: I personally do not eat bananas anymore all because of what we are experiencing with the growing of bananas in Dominica.

      Ask any farmer in Dominica what has become the process of farming,of Bananas in our country, and see if you would desire to give that clown credit for the mess he is overseeing! 

  13. January 18, 2018

    I am grateful for that! And so will my dad who usually works with DEXIA to get his daily bread.

    • dee
      January 19, 2018

      Scott’s Head
      I see you extending gratitude
      I’d like you to state how many of the fishermen in Scott’s Head have been able to return to their jobs fishing ? how many lost their boats , their nets , their fish pots , their fishing tackles and lines ,most of their equipment, their engines , their boat houses etc etc ; have they been assisted to return to the sea to supply Dominica with such a valuable source of food ?
      I am not hearing anything .

  14. January 18, 2018

    Very good engagement. Lord knows how much farmers have lost during the last hurricane season. Not being able to provide food for themselves or their customers these past few months was a real challenge. Please use this money wisely so we can get our produce exports back up asap!

  15. Anonymous
    January 18, 2018

    If our markets are blooming with short term crops,according to the minister, does that mean we are no longer importing he same from the USA?

  16. January 18, 2018

    Very good work! Thanks to the government of Dominica and the World bank for making this happen.

    • Anonymous
      January 19, 2018

      You sound like a certified bum licker.

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