The “laid back” attitudes of farm workers in Dominica have been blamed in part, for the decline in Dominica’s agriculture sector.
According to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, one of the biggest challenges facing agriculture is the poor services being received by farm owners who employ laborers on their farms.
He said in an interview with the Government Information Service, that farm workers in Dominica must be more diligent.
“You cannot build agriculture when people who provide work for you, give you one hour’s work for $40. Farm workers are the best paid people in Dominica but they are not diligent. You go to a farm and you see guys gossiping and making jokes. If you are not there, you won’t get half an hour work,” he said.
According to the prime minister, these types of attitudes and mindset have to change.
“We rob our employers here but when we go elsewhere, we work like slaves,” he stated.
He said a lot more can be done from a government stand point, but the matter of poor performance by farm workers must be addressed.
I think it’s the main farmer in D’a who told him to say that, just to throw him off,,, and he fell for the bait. Edo must be laughing. lol
will some one please remind of thename of the minister the was secretly giving fertliza to the labour party supporters
Who allyu does think allyu fooling na? Lol. First of if you was offering reasonable wages and working conditions you would not have to chase anybody for a days work. Another point is just what was said a ‘days work’ meaning that most agricultural labour is seasonal or task based not permanent so this worker maybe works for three days a week and then has to subsist on this big $40 a day. What about his family? Do farm workers have insurance benefits or even social security? Another joke on you is that u are definitely not a ‘serious farmer’ talking about fellas doh have cutlass. Lol. If u get a job by nassief u have to come work with your mop man? Or if domlec hire u u have to buy ladder and electrical devices? U on your so called estate should have a tool shed with necessary tools and equipment. Also use strategies such as paying for a task instead of pay by day or have permanent workers with the matching incentives such as apayslip that can be used in hire purchase transactions, medical benefits and social security contributions barring that you’re just another parasite trying to exploit poor people. We wearing or ignorance on our sleeves doh blame me. Lol
This comment was directed @ oldaag whose posts provoked this response on the behalf of the farm workers most of whom will never be represented on this site
What the PM is saying is very true. I was born in DA and now reside in Boston. Even though we do not currently reside in DA, we do have a vacation home there and we visit often. What we have noticed time and time again is the lackadaisical mentality that some many of people in DA have. It seems that everything is in slow motion there and the people seem to be content with just making it. Unless that mentality changes and we not continue to provide sub-par services, DA will always seem like a third world country. I know these words seem harsh. This mentality is just true with farm workers but I have noticed it in restaurants, your basic stores, and transportation. As a fellow Dominican, I want to urge my community to give your best in all that you do and you will be surprised at the fruits of your labor.
I agree with the prime minster but some farm employees works very hard $40 dollars an hour surely is not enough. There is one other thing he should have mentioned all the workers in Dominica are laid back, they are not showing any enthusiasm in the work for which they are employed to
Jackie, is not $40 an hour but $40 a day!! if it was $40/hr. we would have many Dominicans returning back home, trust me.
In any line of work, if the incentives are good ,it hardly ever matters what the job is.It stems from the standard of living in Dominica,with that $40.00, the farm worker is suppose to work hard for ,after which he can barely buy anything thing off that or even support his self for the day(although he just labored for what is considered a days work).I think the PM intentions are good ,he is just missing the BIGGER Picture.
In any line of work, if the incentives are good ,it hardly ever matters what the job is.It stems from the standard of living in Dominica,with that $40.00, the farm worker is suppose to work hard for ,after which he can barely buy anything thing off that or even support his self for the day(although he just labored for what is considered a days work).I think the PM intentions are good ,he is just missing the BIGGER Picture.
Utter rubbish, Mr PM
Some Dominicans are just hypocrites. The PM is echoing exactly what farmers are complaining about. He is just stating a matter of fact. Those jen journer are indeed robbing the farmers by not providing them with a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay. This attitude extends into the business sector and government services. Dominicans have a laissez-faire attitude which is taking the country down the toilet. One feels like one is begging for a favor even when one has to pay for services. This is bull. Dominican workers, be more professional.
To paint all farmers with a broad brush like that is so unfair coming from a leader of a country. I think Mr. Skerrit needs to be a bit more diplomatic in his presentation and not be so disrespectful to a population of people who whether rain or shine do what they have to do to tend to their plantation in order to make a living. Maybe if your government was providing them with the much needed assistance that they’ve been begging for then you could talk.
Did you read the article? DUHHHHH just like everybody else READING is FUN-DA-MEN-TAL. The man spoke of farm workers and not industrious farmers. Please reread the article. I suspect you don’t own a farm or has never employed workers for any period of time. It might be best if you don’t speak on this issue.
invest in others and not your people charity begins at home
LMAO…are you people serious, does anyone on here know the plight of a farmer? Not just someone wanting to do subsistence farming but one who is in it as a business. Have you ever had to pay someone to come “make-a-day” on your farm. Have you ever had to chase a man to come work for you. Has anyone of you been in the position of putting out your personal money to pay for work on your farm. How about picking up a worker who shows up and expects you to provide all the tools (cutlass included) necessary for him to do his job…The PM is 100% right…productivity in this sector is a appalling and this stems from the attitude of the workers…Who an here talking about slavery…This is the era of a fairs days’ work for a fair days’ pay. Only speak on this if you’ve lived it, no more peanut gallery comments. The PM is only relaying the concerns of genuine farmers who want to advance this industry.
AMEN to this response. They are so much in DENIAL! DENIAL! DENIAL!
As an agriculturist myself, I am very much dismayed by the comments made by the honourable PM. I say so, because it appears to me that the PM is living in past times. The statement made by the PM would have held water if it was made at a time when the agricultural sector was in its hay days, booming and bringing much needed revenue as part of the country’s quest in its economic strife. The fact at that time was that, there were many agricultural farm laborers employed by the farm owners and so when they were put to work many of the productive workers pushed more work thus cross subsidizing for those who pushed fewer work. In addition to that, because there was a lack of supervision by the farm owner to ensure that the desired amount of work was carried out for the dseired amount paid to the farm worker, much notice was not given to those who worked more efficiently than others and so the farm owner had no instrument of measure to measure farm laborers work output thus leaving him, the farm owner in a state of complacency resulting in poor production and productivity of the farm. That was the reality then……
Let us now move away from that cynical, miopic and insular opinion to the hard realities which faced our agriculture and the sector as a whole. The government may continue to stay in denial of the fact that they have not shift real forward gears towards developing the sector. Though one cannot deny that a few things may have gone on in the sector, the reality is that many important things have not gone right with the sector.I may venture to name a few of the alraedy known things which may be of concern to those who work both within and out of the sector.
1. a lack of an agricultural policy to direct the way the sector should be shaped towards food security for domestic consumption, food for exports and lowering of the food import bill.
2. The high cost of agricultural inputs (e.g fertilizers, nematicides etc). This is crucial if we are to make any forward movement in continued production of our agriculture.
3. Poor subsidization by government of our agricultural farm inputs.
4. Poor marketing strategies by the agencies responsible for identifying and marketing our agricultural products.
5. Poor feeder road maintenance.This is also crucial in ensuring that we sustain good and consistent quality of our produce.
6. Poor planning of irrigated agriculture.This is of concern to many, since some areas were identified for irrigation development but we continue to experience poor upkeep of the system, low production and productivity and generally low income are still prevalent even with the installation of irrigatied on some farms.
The list is not exhaustive, but one can discern the pattern of misjudgement by the polical directorate of our country who lacks the KNOW-HOW to bring about a positive change in the agricultural sector, so that our nation can strife to be self sufficient and subsequently prune that culture of begging which was cultivated by the very PM who is now talking about decline in the sector which can afford to make 40% of our population independent. What a shame on those who try to pass the blame on those who are innocent of a crime that they have not committed. SHAME!SHAME!SHAME!
What! He didn’t say that. Slide his mouth slide.
i meant get out you wicked government
De PM sound like he singing a calypso dat de Ghost write. Wat a load of BS in yur face D/cans.
why dont we work hard like SUKIE or take a cue from MC MILLAN or look at EGBERT EH CHARLES all from the harlem area
these are amomgst the hardest working dominicans
some of our people are 2 damn lazy
other people come their as paupers and lmake millions here
look at NASSIEF ASTAPHANS RAFFOULS etc the came as poor SYRIANS and look them now as the richest Dominicans.
Now the Chinese are here and the spanish are there and the haitians and Indians etc are there ALL DOING VERY WELL While we look and criticise and down press our own people !!!!!!
MONEY IS THERE TO BE MADE
BUT WE HAVE TO WAKE UP
SELLING LAND TO BUY BUSS TO BEG TOURIST FOR TOURS what abig joke and we blaming government
ahh 20 million dollars on irrigation in castle bruce and nothing being done by the farmers there to use it and we blaming Skerro give me a break
Your comnment shows that you are awashed with a high level of stupidity and ignorance.First of all the success of Sukie and Egbert Charles should be read and eulogised to the leaders in government.The cabal.
You should not be boasting of how Chinese are there making money, when they are driving our local small business entrepreneurs out of business.Have you ever asked yourself how hard it must be for oul locals small businessed to compete with the Chinese? Are you Dominican? This very government is the one responsible for the demise of agriculture.No feeder roads,bad fertilizer,poor marketing,and now tongue lashing from fthe PM himself. Shame on you and shame on him. But level headed Dominicans know better, because while he can play in your empty brains he can’t play in everyones brain at all.
Do you know how many advisers he has? Can you tell us the work that they are accomplishing? Why then is the da- country so poor? Are you aware of the frequent trips overseas by the PM? What are they accomplishing?
I really think that you need to sentisize yourself of what is going on brother/sister, because this gang of people you think is a government are the ones who are destroying the very fabric of the country,and fools like you are made to believe it’s being done by the ordinary man.
SHAME ON YOU!
Where was the PM and all the other ministers in Government raised. There parents should be ashamed to see their children destroying a whole country that its foundation is agriculture. We use to supply the Caribbean and other countries, Where are the Hucksters? Lord have mercy on us. It seems the blind is leading the blind and all of us is falling in the ditch. Stop the blame game Mr. PM and ministers, and have a general talk with the older farmers if your parents are not guiding you all about the history and foundation of DOMINICA. Put your prides aside, talk to the older farmers for guidance on farming, and save our dying country. What is the payoff when all these countries are helping us. Especially these communist countries. The Bible says, listen to your elders. Pleas take heed/
This is not the first time I have heard remarks like that coming from farmers themselves. The PM is just repeating them in a harsh tone that might cause readers to turn on him.
Facts are facts where it concerns productivity in Dominica. The effect of low productivity on the farm is an old problem, going back to the early 1990s. During the mid to late 1990s, there were talks and some tests of importing Haitians to work on organized farms to address the productivity problem but the status of these is unclear. While productivity needs to be addressed as a priority for a sustainable agriculture industry, farm workers aka “labourers” should also be treated as human beings with an ability to improve their living standards from their wages.
Clearly some further discussions need to be held among the stakeholders before any progress can be made in this area. With the number of Haitians who allegedly came to Dominica after the Haiti earthquake almost 3 years ago, it would be interesting to know how many are working on farms.
I think the PM has given us some good food for thought. If we are to make anything out of agriculture, then the people who work for farmers (jens jounay) should be more serious, and give a fair day’s work, for a fair day’s pay. If the pay is really $40 an hour, then that worker should give $40 worth of work, whatever that is. You cannot come up to the garden late, have breakfast, take half an hour to sharpen your cutlass, then start talking non stop, then time for a break, then a shoot of rum, then lunch, then a few plants, and by the time you turn around, time to go down to the village. How can the agricultural sector survive with that type of mentality?
The PM is right…when people go to other countries they work like dogs to make a dollar, sometimes doing work they would never do in Dominica, but when in Dominica, they waste time, stealing from the employer – stealing time is stealing too.
I agree with the PM. We need to pay closer attention to what is happening, otherwise agriculture will be dead in Dominica.
You had my support up to the point where your taining wheels with your myopic vision spoke of Dominicans working like dogs as immigrants. Why because this isn’t unique to Dominicans but true of all migrants. Ask farmers the issues they have with haitian farm workers in Dominica? Clearly you are either mislead or uniformed next time you want to paint the town red take note of a rainbow!
Boss ma you have all the right to make such a high handed statement. Let me ask you sir are the farm workers responsible for the loss of the EU market? Are they responsible for the poor state of the farm access roads? Are they responsible for the below par performance of your minister of agriculture? Are they responsible for the high cost of farm inputs? Are they to be held responsible for your government’s state of unpreparedness for the Black Sigatoka disease? Are they responsible for the confusion you called the Agriculture Investment Unit headed by one of your cronies? Are you going to blame the farm workers for the non arrival of the boat to transport farm produce promised by one of your former minister of agriculture? Are you going to blame farm workers when your minister of agriculture gives much needed fertilizers to party supporters even if they do not deserve it? Are you going to blame farm workers for your glaring inability to lobby any markets even with the countries that you daily pronounce how proud you are to have established ties with them? are you going to blame the farm workers for the demise of the banana industry even if banana has remained the number one fruit in the whole world? So you see Mr PM there is more work for you to do than for you to pick on the lowly farm workers. Leave the farm workers to us who employ them and you do for us what we cannot do for ourselves in other words start doing something for our vat money and all other tax payers money.
“A FAIR DAY’S WORK FOR A FAIR DAY’S PAY”
People should understand the context in which the Prime Minister is speaking. For Dominica to move ahead industrially, and interlectually our “Workforce productivity” should be measured this way. Workforce productivity is the amount of goods and services that a worker produces in a given amount of time (Usually on an hourly basis). It is one of several ways that economists can measure productivity. Workforce productivity can be measured for a firm, a process, an industry, a farm worker, work groups, or even a country. It is also often referred to as labor productivity because it was originally studied only with respect to the work of laborers as opposed to managers or professionals.
I get what he is trying to say, and that is not in relation to farming only. Dca had a lack of professionalism in any form of business but that is because many people have not been trained and are not savvy when it comes to business and employee training. Service in the country is non existent and that trickles all the way down into the nitty gritty of what dca represents. That’s a fact. The pm has to choose his words wisely when talking about his fellow countrymen. On the flip side, I think he is right though.
As a former member of the DLP the authentic one not the DFP infiltrated one which by the don’t care and poverty syndrome of D/cans. I visited DA x4 since 2000a few old friends who we just talk for old time sake. They ask me when do I want to meet the P.M.My response was a sotaway DFP playing DLP give me a break I have never know the guy in my days in DA and I don’t want nor need to.
It did not go down well with my “friends”
Medard you sounding like Romney now!
Lol.That will kill U in the next election if a sensible candidate emerges
Well that part is so true. From since I was little, farm workers would pass like 7:30 and by 12:00 they would be out of the farm taking your produce that you were to use to pay them, barely 5hrs of work. They would spend the rest of the day doing nothing or go to work on their own plot. Compare that to Central America and Asia where a man begins to work at 7 and stop at 5. In some cases they even live in houses on the farm. Well the Haitians came in but learnt the same bad work ethics. Man even if you work for $30 a day it should be well earned. The employer should be glad he gets a salary. Not in Dominica! People don’t want you to get rich so they won’t work the hours. They prefer to calculate how much you will make if they fooyah 10 fos yam for you. The same can be said for construction. There are many ways how to deal with these problems though, What is the minimum wage and the length of a work day? Let’s import labour, set up cooperatives to manage that. Once upon a time we used to have moun jounnee but I forget; everyone is competing with his neighbour and maybe the other have la main sale. In Da agriculture is still labour intensive, not diversified neither specialized.
As for the PM and his ministry they haven’t done much to raise the moral of farmers.I actually thought that the Chinese would continue from the Taiwanese mission; say shrimps, pawpaw,pineapple, agroprocessing,greenhouse production etc.
waaaayyyyy paapaaaa
DNo..PM goes after farm workers ? DNo please.
mr do not know wat he taking about. wen u put plp wo doesnot know anything about agriculture to manage it that wat happens. $ 40 a day not an hour. Mr them kill the agriculotural sector and now they blaming everyone but them selves. inexperience. all he good at is beggin his crust of bread. signing agreement he does not know nothing about. those big boys laughing at d/a because they have us like their puppet. when a nother govt comes into power, we will b surprise to hear the type of activities that D/a has been into. bram bram later for u PM
Framing fail in Dominica because the ministry of Agriculture has failed Dominica,who is in charge of agriculture,where are they, what have they done, what are donig I would like to comment but I will not.However there’s a trend in Dominica for example I’ve had people working on my farm they would start at 8:00am by 12:00 noon they were gone it’s frustrating but that’s the Dominican way from the Government to public works to the farms.
Skerrit u have some nerve, u that cause all Dominica farming problems, only passports u want to sell, u don’t care about farmers.
is damm true
remarks! commentI find it impossible to make a comment because I could be commenting against myself.spare a thought for dominica.the people of dominica want to hide behind dominica,wherea we should be protecting dominica,he should be hiding behind us we have no feelings which is bad enough
Dominicans are so tunnel minded as he clearly stated
i’m not to sure if we see the distractions that are place in front of us, we know that he is a good man by the way he addresses the public but is that all we want Dominicans? A good man? Well! I personally thinks about the future and his plans that are slowly taking effect on us Dominicans this is clearly an act of communism and it needs to stop Dominica are we really ready to give up our independence???
If what the Prime Minister is saying about farmers (WHO DO NOT PAY INCOME TAX) is false or a pack of lies, then what on God’s earth can justify the high cost of locally grown agricultural products such as tomatoes at $8.00 a pound and cabbage at $7.00 a pound other than the high cost of labor ($40 per hour)??!!
Is it just greed?
You have a point there Jayson. Farmers are exempt from paying tax on their earnings but they are complain[ng every week on Matt’s program about how other countries subsisdizing their farmers. Why should we pay such high prices for inconsistent quality and supply just to keep them in business? It’s my money I’m spending on food so if I chose to buy imports don’t shout at me but ask why?
For once I have to agree with the PM. The only people I can trust to work on my land are Haitians. The Dominican workers are lazy and their attitude stinks! Actually, the same thing goes for the Dominican construction workers.
And by the way, read the article properly, the PM is not talking about the farmers he is talking about the hired workers.
SMH…your last statement is on point. I keep reading these comments and wondering if they actually read the article. READING is FUNDAMENTAL people please read/reread the article!!!!
are you serios mr prime minister!!!keep blaming everybody except your administration and pass governments.blatant misleading statements make me sick!!and to advance your motives . . you insult the diaspora of dominica.
Really do farmers realy work.
Farmers and Dominicans in general have been begging the DLP Govt’ consistently for serious investments in Agriculture, but their requests are falling on deaf ears.
Food production oui Skerritt? Food security oui? Food and drinks for the citizens sustainance oui DLP? We could earn money, create employment by growing food crops oui and adding value to many of those crops.
You all talk of “Eat what you grow, and grow what you eat.” Just talk. Reducing non-communicable diseases and obesity? Constant belching of hot air from those in “Power” who do not care two hoots.
By selling Dominica’s ordinary and Diplomatic passports, the FEW ‘in power”, “with power” make millions instead.
Fertilizer BOBOL. Remember? Even such inputs for the farmers to boost their production, some secret deal was done. Lagen-a. Greed. Corruption. Lagen-a.
Markets well set up overseas to market and sell our passports. What about our local products? My people ask yourselves a question, non, even for once?
Stop and think. “In the abundance of fresh water, the fools are thirsty.”
“In the abundance of rich, productive soil, the country in poverty.”
The PM has lashed out at unproductive labourers but i will go further and identify landowners, the so-called-farmers as being too lazy and too dependent on government; well, too many of them, anyways. Indeed, a government must play its part in the agricultural sector. However, how is it that Haitians can so easily get lands to lease and farm? How is it that so many youngsters choose to be idle in certain villages while the land that once sent them to school remains overgrown with bushes; while the AID Bank, NDFD, and the government continue to make capital available for them?
The PM is on point, his government has a lot to do however, the “farmers”, not just the labourers, must be called out for wasting our natural resources.
alu never mention carrying so much load on their head up and down hills. farm work is the hardist work it have out there $4o are day thats no money for those qwava cor twavi.
the pm need to tell the farm worker to import good fertilizer ,service the feeder roads, get markets and complete the irrigation project in calibishie,and then agriculture will be on its feet again
Is the pm serious? Is there something in the air and he decided to throw out that statement as a diversion or what? I cant believe he is actually blaming the hard working farmers who have been crying out for help for so long , while he and his government turned a blind eye and deaf ears towards them. Now he is blaming the very people they have neglected? SHAME ON THE PM , MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND THE ENTIRE GOVERNMENT.
he is not saying the farmers but the general ‘day labourers’ and yes he’s right.
This has nothing to do with the demise of agriculture. The demise has to do with this regime’s attitude over the past twelve years. You are talking of a government that cannot even provide feeder roads or good fertilizer to the farmers, one who put the agricultural industry on the back burner and opted for tourisn,instead of concentrating on both.
This piece is so ludicrous,you all can well understand why this government is so myopic, wicked,lazy and insultive.
Farm workers are the best paid people in Dominica?
What? He can’t be serious?
farm workers receive $40-50 per day and normally have a 5 hour day. some people (including teachers) work longer for less. so yes if you work out the hourly rate they are some of the best paid
If Mr. Skerrit contends that farmer workers at E.C.$40/day are the best paid workers in the country what the hell is he paying his civil servants and what does he expect from them??And is he saying that the graduates from the State College working at the call centre in Canefield are paid less than that? “As the saying goes:”If you pay peanuts you get monkeys”
MR PM, not because the UWP party ralling behind AGRICULTURE,you should hate it and try to distory it.AGRICULTURE is DOMINICA and that is her ‘survivor’,so if you fail to see that or cannot see that,then you may be diagnose with TUNNEL VISION.
There’re much more insults to come out of Roosevelt Skerrit’s mouth. To you Labourers, that’s just good for you. Unless as one people, you realize that you deserve a better governance
and representation, for a better future, nothing will change. I must remind you, cut-off the heads of the poisonous snakes by voting them out.
but where can we find better governance?
I agree with the PM somebody else must always take the blame. Our PM must be absolved thus the reason we have the great liar and his comrades lying their guts out on Kairi.
The failed agriculture sector and the productive sector on a whole is the fault of lazy Dominicans. Nevertheless we encourage the red clinic for obvious reasons.
Ah! Thanks for the compliment. You have improved in the quality of post. You are beginning to come up the ladder. Keep at it and one day, just one day, you will be close.
All you who he receding to them Haitians man. What comedy we have in our government. They blame public works workers and call them lazy; they blame civil servants through a character name Pro Duck TV Tea constant; they blame truck drivers and call them greedy; they blame fishermen and tell them stop sitting down ashore go fish mawyan; they blame farmers and opposition for terrible feeder toads and lack of production; they blame the trades men in order to justify Chinese take over. Blame world recession for the dirtiness in Roseau, blame GON for the derailed investigation; as for Q95 they St fault even when nothing is wrong.
All you who or what else are they going to blame. Farm workers are the highest paid well I so wanted a job as an advisor, an ambassador or a Parry Belligerent type contract but I change my mind. I want a job on the ganja plantation. Heck yeh.
Seriously is this guy OK. See this is where leaders imprint their legacy – when a leader has to improvise without a written speech. Put Edison, Rosie, Major in the same situation and I guarantee that such garbage would not have been uttered. No wonder Weakileak said the guy is a mule among the horses.
The last i check the farm workers are not emplyees of the Gov but the famers who hire them to do the work. Let the farmers learn to manage there farms properly including thier workers.
What the PM described is the same thing happening in the ministry and other Gov workplace. A bunch of workers sitting around and gossip and doing half days work for a full day pay why they cannot get nothing done.
Take a walk in the fire station, police stations and registry just to name a few. The PM must have been halucinating. He was at the ministry of agriculture and thought he was on a farm
awah awah pm,,nah man ,,i am ur main supporter but u sound wicked there man,,what in agriculture now dat can encourage sumbdy ..explain to be people about santo domingo deal with wibdeco or i think i change now,,we just can’t compete,,santo domingo gives wibdeco bananas at what ever price wibdeco gets on the market so wibdeco can never lost,we had inspection station santodomingo don’t,they ship from the farm to the ship in container..labour in dominica is 15 us a day santo is 3,4 us a day,santo had miles of flan we hardly had 10 acres of flat..stop fooling the people please they hard working..
The PM has no say in how the private sector deals with their employees.
What you mean Rasta? You don’t know the man is “omnipotent”?
The Pm is begging people to tell him GO TO HELL. GO TO HELL. GO TO HELL!!!!!!!!! Not your damn business what we do with our time, money and land. GO TO HELL AND MIND YOUR DAMN BUSINESS.
lololol!but the man has a point SOME workers do not perform for the money they receive at the end of the day! they are cheating the farmers who are already struggling in this agriculture industry!
Skerrit is getting desperate or he is just down right rude, this is equivalent of telling people GO TO HELL.
Where are the farms he is talking about? Most of them are abandoned will Black Sigatoka. He should first take a look at his Minister of Agriculture and those government high paid employees who take two days off every week to slaughter their pigs and harvest their crops.
Does Skerrit know the pain of working on a 2×4 farm and then wait more than a month to get $80.00 because the farmer more broke than Yellow and Zang?
Sadly, these farm workers will vote him again because the other set of Jackasses looking like they BARZOODIE.
Hmmmmmmmmmmm, wow!!!! It is always someone else’s fault when things ‘do not work’ eh? First it was the public servants who were lazy and so there is low productivity. Then I heard the minister for tourism saying that it was the fault of the taxi drivers who argue in front of the passengers at the port and take them on rushed tours. Then it was the vagrants in Roseau. Then it was our citizens who do not understand the importance of the tourism industry. Then the minister of health said that people were too lazy and that if they wanted work they should go fishing because the sea is all around us. Now it is the farmers who are too lazy and LAID BACK………..Goodness me!!!! When will Dominicans demand of this government that quality representation which they deserve?????? The PM is now saying that the ‘farm workers are the BEST PAID people in Dominica’?????????? I have heard the PM and others
in his party insult THE PEOPLE so many times in the past year, it makes me wonder whether this has been going on for the past eight years without THE PEOPLE realizing!!!!! When will we ever learn??????????
Skerro went from nice and slim to fat in 8 years. When the last time he put in a full day of hard labor work to produce anything. How many ministers can go to their land and weed the grass from between their banana or dasheen. Talk about hard work. Try to sweat a full day to make your living.
Garçon you making joke man,,,
You just come out Miami there to promote Tourism,,,
You go Morocco and tell dem come build hotel,,,
You even go tell Chavez come put a Fuel distribution station in Belfast, while right across the street is Colgate-Palmolive distribution center, while you have Coconut Product factory just dere not doing noffing,,,
Behave yourself yeah if you doh have noffing else to say,,,
What promotion have you done in the last tenure to promote Agricultural industry???
When was the last time you went to lobby the US and or Europeans to let them know how Fertile and non-contaminated Soil is in Dominica to produce all their True-Organic fresh fruits and Vegetables,,,
Dem Marn dem not lazy is you dat need to start promoting dem Marn dem so dey can start being more enthusiastic about farming,,,
Go Lobby International Grocers Association so they can start importing some of their produce from Dominica you let dem come set up shop in Picard and all profits going right back to them through Western Union,,,
Doh Chastise dem Man dem if you not doing noffing to help Dem,,,
the government has persistently fail to accept that it is ony agriculture that will move dominica forward .$3million for LIAT .How much in agriculur? no agro processiong plant.No marketing.No inputs to farmers.No assistance with modern equipment.P.M u come from Mars man
On this one the pm is right and not only on farms but at many government offices in Dominica
WOW, What a very upsetting article. I am sure our Prime Minister would never suggest that the farmers are lazy!! I happen to live in the country with farmers all around me and they get up so early and are working all day in all weathers even over the holidays. The one’s who are lazy and do not want to work are the youngsters, they want easy money, all the gadgets and are not interested in working hard for a living. The older people are left working and farming and they need good support from the Government. Dominica could become prosperous if they farmed the land properly and the youngsters got incentives and involved. In this case I think the Government is wrong as they are not giving the support needed and blaming the farmers who need financial backing and very much the backing of the PM.
Aye Skerrit sa la is that the best you can come up with to address agriculture? sad!!
a part from agriculture i worked on a government project it have been more than 6 weeks i cannot get paid.i must call the radio,shame shame shame
skerrit, what incentives you give to farmers. how you help them. you give them land, you help them buy plants. you improve the feeder roads, you give them transportaion. when i read the government Gazette, people ordering KIA vehicles and all fancy motor car and getting duty free. what you give FARMERRRRRS. you living a life of a king. you dont know who else to blame, so you hitting the weakest link. the poor farmers. de money you give liat, you should take it and spread it among the farmers. when tourism die and it will die because tourist tired walk in rubbish in Roseau, you will come back.
money*
I think Our PM is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or something! Who ever gave you that gossip info caused u an embarassment! U just slap yourself in the face!
Are you aware of the kinda conditions that people work under at these farms? Why don’t you be more diplomatic and let your ministers deal with issues that they can handle.In 2013 nobody should be working for as little as $40 Ec (per day), cost of living is ABSURD in this place. Your pay has doubled but the slaves should keep toiling loyally at the sound of your voice. SHAME ON YOU!!!.The journey continues, slavery is relived,the master is sees and knows.
$40.00 an hour, well I want a farm laborer job
why is those poor farmers he blaming, where matthew walter, he sit down paix bouche raising pigs and not doing a fing to help farmers now skerritt blaming the farmers just before the new year? its so unfair.. but that good for dem, is they dat putting down their cutlasses and put on red shirt shouting “Labour Power” i hope they seeing the light now
@ Grotesque..”he sit down paix bouche raising pigs…”
OMG hehehehehheheeh keekekeee Dominicans are amusing. Thanks for the laugh
One thing with Labour Party they love the blame game
This Regime will stay in Power and will get away with everything as the citizens are really too laid back taking garbage from their corrupt regime..
why has not the regime assisted farms with inputs knowing the cost are too high, look at the feeder roads..
But again is Dominica so no need to worry all they do is call the radio station..haha
the farm workers do not have the luxury to use tax payers money to travel around the world to fake meetings in big airplanes in a LAID BACK, reclined position
PM when tourism kick u out u will come back and beg for we the farmers to save you but it will be too late if you don”t do something about it right now
Mr. P do me a favor and in the new year for ONE (1) WEEK. I challenge you to rise up at 4:30am, get your food ready cook it on a coalpot, organize your breakfast bush tea and dry bread eh, pick a farm and go. Dig some one hundred dasheen holes, make a boocan to burn out the area so that on the third day you can sow some cucumber plants, while you at it, put those cows on the other side of the plantation, come back and shed some leaves from the banana tree, then go down by the ravin for water for those cows, come back dig some more holes to put down some plantain and banana plant; weed the new growth of dasheen. Do all that before 7:00am. That’s your day one. Let us know how you get on for day one ok? The rest of the week you will repeat some of those and include cutting some wood to make a coalpit; go and dig some lady’s yam hole too. And let us know how you get on for $40 for your day. That’s before 7:30am too. The rest of the day remains to be seen.
Boss, you’re right on Q.
Those fellas just sit down in their air – conditioned office and talking. Does the PM know what a day’s work on a farm feels like to be getting only $40?
PM, you don’t care about agriculture. If you did care, you would have never listened to the $1 dollar Minister. I mean, just look at who you have as Minister of Agriculture.
Tell me it’s not politics you playing with people livelihood when you put Ricky Brumant as Director of Agriculture…….man PM, you are a mess when it comes to the development of the Agricultural sector and you want to blame farm workers and famers.
Full Circle, what you reap is what you sow. All the highly educated soldiers that were in the Ministry of Agriculture have left and those that remain, remain for the love of their country and/or cannot leave now.
There are so many great ideas that can save Agriculture and DA but you continue placing square heads in round holes.
Man, wheel and come again with your foolishness. You think because we engaged in farming, we dotish? You know well that tourism won’t get us where we need to get and that too shall pass……
Then what?
You will come with your promises and beg us Farmers to support you and your cabal but I can bet my last dollar, the entire farming community will reject you and your policies, as you have failed us…again and again.
One Love to all the Hard Working Farmers in the Nature Island
You are so right on. I challenge him to do this too. All the ministers, 1 weeek!!!
Necks typo
Let’s see his last labs.
Man do you know what it is to be a farmer or be emplyed on a farm. All you do is smile. Get real your administration dont give a dam about farmers so who are you to describe people workink for farmers.
I agree 100%+ with the PM but it’s not just farmers who are work shy and lazy. The majority of workers in Dominica do not work diligently and it is very very frustrating for employers. However, I disagree with the PM when he say “We rob our employers here but when we go elsewhere, we work like slaves,”. These workers have never been elsewhere BUT Dominica! What’s wrong is that these workers have no sense of commitment and responsibility. There’s alot of ‘bad habits by most Dominicans which Mr Skerrit must change in order for Dominicans to “wake up and smell the cocoa”!!
U must be the one who agreed to this all these times. U must be the PM and his friends… From a little girl growing up my aunt working hard… she in her 50’ies and she still working hard. When will she catch a break. $40.00 get real to survive where. I don’t blame u Mr. PM because they put you back every term to keep on insulting and belittling them… U make Chinese close every local business and u think is because of laziness. Even the US realize that they cannot compete with the Chinese mass producing so much less for us poor little Dominicans. U just leaving us to hang out and dry, but don’t worry God is stronger that your little dutty bag a tricks. Think we don’t know you use black magic each and every time. Every time I listen to you, all I said is idiocy. You do not have the intelligence to run this country, to move us forward… You keep sinking us into an abyss a hole so deep the next generation will never be able to dig us out.
While there is much blame to go around, I don’t think that putting the blame for the decline of the agricultural sector on farm workers is fair. While some farm workers leave much to be desired in terms of their work ethics, many of them are unskilled labourers and must be closely supervised.
The PM needs to know that some of the problems confronted by agriculture in the region are: labour, topography which results in lack of infrastructure (roads, bridges), marketing and storage facilities,and attitude among others.
To put the blame squarely on the shoulders of farm workers is grossly unfair. What has the government done to prevent the decline? The PM needs to examine government’s policy as it relates to agriculture, modernize the sector in terms of human resource and equipment. In other words put people who are experienced and qualified in your key areas, so that research and continuous training and implementation could be done.
Let’s not forget that agriculture must be approached as a business and not just a hobby, we must do agro-processing to avoid the wastage of fruits and take advantage of the value-added products which could be obtained.
I cannot forget Mr Yvor Nassief who told us through the media that we need to move away from this third-world agricultural economy and move to the service industry. We are reaping the harvest of his statement: farmers have abandoned their farms and are driving buses and working as security guards! Let us ask them why?
Very well said Free Thinker. Shame on you PM. Your time will come and when it does, I want them to take even the fook chelot you have on you…….then you will have to become a farm worker and know what some of us have to do to servive.
That statement is a pure embarasment PM.
I once heard u refer to urself as a farmer. Is that ur experience sir?
So u finally admit to a decline in agriculture. People used to gossip while carrying fig. Get a life PM. DAPEX was telling us of their successes in servicing regional markets with our local produce but I don’t recall either DAPEX or even the Ministry of Agriculture make that complain. Next time let mattew walter work for his money.
I just came from my aunt’s farm and she showing me some dasheeen that died after applying Morrocan fertilizer. Now here is an area that requires an investigation.
Young farmers need motivation. Send ur people to recruit farm workers in Haiti and Dominican Republic. Put ur people out of work so they will come see u at de Red Clinic. Develop a plan to motivate our youths in farming.
It can be done just like de Cadets. Put the things in place. Identify strong dependable leaders to spearhead de program. Involve the more seasoned and productive farmers. Find Mr Louis and Mr Aaron and stop playing politics like a toddler wanting his own way.
Do something. Right now all u talking so much with nothing to show for de talk. What’s happening on de farms where u just did feeder road maintenance. Are the laborers gossiping there or not?
Get serious and quit whining
skerro really trying to let Dominica become communism place,like chine, Venezuela,and cuba them etc.open all you eyes dominicans no political leader should have that kind of power over u.
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
blah blah blah u in your office u not in our position,
power to the people never to the Government…is not your business where our money come from!!
well said. long i havent heard you sound like a true leader, please continue on this path. bwavo
Most farm owners inherit the slave masters fever
Do they get holiday and sick pay?
Pure exploitation going on in the work field
Well bring back slavery and fuss people to work for you PM we know you government relying on agriculture fat cats
alas poor farmers, what has that government done to assist farmers ?
look at the state of the feeder roads, look at the price of the inputs, that is fertilizer, and planting material……
Respect the Farmers mr Skeritt they working 10 times harder than you….
the only time u pick up a cutlass is on community day of service to pose for the camera’s on GIS, Marpin and SAT..
every dollar u have going in a failing tourism and now a failing airline….
what u invest in agriculture ?
but that good for us Dominicans…..
that good for us…..
we just start to get it>>>>>>
I will not watse my time and comment on the antics of the this guy. I rather leave this ludicrous statements to farmers like AAron,Mr.Louis,Mr. Telemaque,Mr. Delauney and Mr.Edison James.
I agree with you, it would be good for DA if these guys suggestions are liaised with Govt and it would benift DA and its people if both paries can work positively and in tandem so that when the Tuorism is in recess, the economy can continue to progress through Agriculture. It is true that some Farmers are dissatisfied.despondent with the GOVT, especially with the absense of proper funding for specific agricultural projects and farming materials
True
bravo skerro
not skerrit business where our monry come from