$12.7 million dollars have been allocated in the 2011/12 National Budget to the Ministry of Agriculture to continue implementing programmes that would increase the output of agricultural commodities.
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit made mention of the support to the Horticulture programme, which is responsible for the increase that is being recorded in the non-banana crop sub-sector.
“It is hoped that significant increases in local production can result in some of these products being exported and the income of farmers increased as a result,” he said.
According to the Prime Minister a critical area for improvement is the strengthening of the Plant and Quarantine Services to enable improved, safer and more effective pest control options, which will result in safer food and reduced risk to human and environmental health.
He said these programmes will ensure also that the investments being made in the crop sector, particularly bananas, plantains and citrus, are protected.
“A project intended to increase livestock production is the pork and poultry Project. Funded with resources from the Government of Venezuela, this project will see the construction of a modern abattoir. These facilities, we expect, will encourage increased production of local meats,” he said.
He continued, “Madam Speaker, DEXIA has been given the responsibility for the operations of the Packing Houses. No doubt, the Packing Houses will boost the quality of the produce that is placed on the market, will serve to regulate supplies and will be an avenue for measuring more accurately agricultural output.”
….Agro-processing. we need to take a bigger step in that direction. we still lose a lot of revenue due to wastage particularly in fruits, when there is either a glut of these products on the market(like when mango in season) or when some of them do not exactly meet supermarket shelf standards (a little bruising).
if this is not another feelgood speech, then this is a stept in the right direction.I wish Dominica well, but boy i don’t trust politician and preachers, they always promise to take you places that are not real.Buti want to have hope and i hope that the ture sprit of development reign.
Wenner, i will post on this one. true that more money is put into agriculture, but we have to have a systematic approach to that. That shouldn’t be a one time gesture, a stop gap method.What are the statistics of chicken comsuption on the island? How much is being imported as to the amount that is produced locally. Ehy are we still planting by seasons. When with the advent of technology there are green houses. Why isn’t there a program to sudsidise the farmers on the prices for the green houses in other to have produce year round. Imagine a government minister has an agri business & his prices are competing with prices of other agri bussinesses. Don’t get me wrong, but what i’m driving at is that these are the guys that should be leading the charge in terms of subsidising of farm products in other for produce to be cheaper & then in tern much cheaper for the locals.
Why should it have to take almost 4 years for one to get orange plants in other to replant his citrus crop.
I’m not putting the blame on one man shoulder but all those in authority. Where is our forsite? what is happening to the pepper industry that used to supply bello every week or two with peppers. We do not learn from our history. ALL our major industries have gone done the drain sad to say & we haven’t yet learned. VANILLA, COCOA, LIMES, GREEN GOLD(LATEST VICTIM).
How much is a bag of fertilizer now? Almost $50.00 & that cannot ferilize a 1/2 acre of produce. What about putting resources into the organic association in other to promote the growth of the organic fertilizer, that’s not a one year business, that should be long term.
Anyway wenner looking forward to your comments, I’m open minded are you?
u’ve made a couple good points here and i support your overall criticism, i understand that u, just like me, would like to see a greater thrust in our agricultural production a lowering of certain costs of production, accessible prices of farm inputs and innovation in farming which would translate to better prices and quality products at the consumer level. but for argument sake let me introduce a different angle:
-are some of our farmers not to blame for the demise of our agriculture industry??
i listen to some senior farmers complain and blame government for the state of the industry when the blame or at least part of it should be placed squarely on their shoulders and here’s why: our farmers never treated there farms as a business entity, most of them in the golden years of banana squandered their profits and lived hand to mouth. while money was flowing they were having a good time living like big shots (rum, mitsubishi-nissan-toyota pickups and woman), not reinvesting their profits on their farms while depending on government inputs which they themselves could well afford. some of our farmers never thought to save a dollar because the Geest boat was sure to dock next fortnight.
the fortunes turned when the mighty US our much beloved “big-brother” sabotaged our preferential treatment on the european market, of course we could never compete with latin american farms because based on terrain they could implement technology which significantly lowered their production costs and increased their production volumes. their technologies, even if we could afford them were not applicable here. our diversification efforts were futile because there was no money in the sector. government could not finance the entire diversification drive and our farmers simply did not have the monies to shoulder part of the strain (re-invest in themselves).
and so,
-isn’t the gross mismanagement of the agricultural sector (from a business perspective) by our farmers a significant part of the problem which led to our downfall (inability to recuperate after the loss of the banana market) in that sector??
-is government expected to permanently subsidize agriculture??
-will the sector (our farmers) ever return profits like in the days of banana??
-when will the sector ever mature to stage where it becomes self sufficient??
u do understand that every dollar put into agriculture these days is a dollar lost, and a dollar less for tourism, education, health housing etc. because the sector is simply not bringing in returns. look at european and american farmers, while their governments work with them in certain areas, they are able to run their farms on their own profits (they shoulder their expenses), they operate a private business.
-will our farmers ever mature to such levels??
-are the governments, past and present alike, the only ones responsible for the demise of our agricultural sector??
THAT IS WONDERFUL NEWS.AMID THE BAD WE MUST LOOK FOR THE GOOD THINGS THAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR COUNTRY AND THANK GOD FOR HIS BLESSINGS.
But boss you not easy nah, that cannot even pay for recuring expenses in that miinistry, what are they going to do for investments? that is one of the productive sectors that has the ability to turn the country around and the investment of 12 million pleases you. ebeh allyou not easy
This is a big JOKE!!!! It is not even half of what the PM is spending on a house for a president. How can a country develop from $12 million. That is just enough for salaries. Dominica is doomed with that blind and bankrupt leadership.
Good stuff, but no one will post on this…They are more intereted in beff and Voter ID Card
Good stuff my foot. $12M for for our main sector.
Good stuff? Compare what is written with the reality of the situation. The economy is in shambles. Unemployment is on the rise. Taxi, bus drivers bawling. Vendors crying. Tourism on the decline. The rural folks, in fact Dominicans on a whole are facing serious decline in their standard of living. Farmers leaving their farms. Dominicans leaving the country in droves. Corruption, criminal acts are rampant especially among those in ‘HIGH PLACES.
What is good about a Govt. that has taken Dominica 10-15 years backward? Public Works Dept is cash- strapped. Their workers have problems getting paid. Manufacturing a NO-NO. $27,000,000.00 for a State Palace, but a meager $12.7 million for agriculture. Give me a break.
Are you an imbecile, blind or what? Significant Investment in Agriculture is about increased FOOD production and jobs as well as revenue for the country. The majority of Dominicans are GETTING POORER, while a few are getting richer. I realize you prefer rigged and fraudulent elections. Cheating, stealing, lying are bad habits to follow or adopt. Do you have children? Would you allow them to cheat or steal? Nothing wrong in that? Replace the trash in your head with brains. Open your eyes and look around you to see.
Sounds Good On Paper…. Hope To See It Materialise