Plans are underway in formulating a National Agricultural Policy and Action Plan for Dominica which will set up a road map for the agricultural industry on the island for the next ten years.
The plan is being organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
Former President of Dominica, Eliud Williams has been named the consultant of the action plan.
Williams, who was addressed a validation workshop held at the Garraway Hotel on Thursday, said the consultation for the policy has already started and he is reviewing some of the earlier efforts to decide on a plan that can be approved by cabinet.
“So my role as consultant is to really develop the Policy and Action Plan, which is really setting out the road map for agriculture in Dominica in the next ten years,” he said.
Williams outlined the critical areas presented in the draft plan which, according to him, have to be done in a way that all stakeholders will take ownership of.
“What I have done is to try to keep the policy to a limited number so that it becomes easy for everyone to take ownership of,” he stated. “So we are saying in terms of policy objectives let’s focus on employment and agricultural business.”
Williams stated that focus will also be placed on competitiveness since it is “critical if we are going to be able to sell in the region and beyond.”
“A lot of agriculture takes place in the rural areas, so a second policy will be to have focus on rural incomes, empowerment and poverty reduction,” he noted.
He indicated also that a third policy deals with the sustainability of agriculture.
“Another policy will deal with the human resource and how well we develop that capacity both in terms of farmers and staff, and very importantly, as well, the last one deals with food security, food safety and nutrition,” Williams remarked.
He noted that from these five policy areas there will be a wide range of strategies meaning, “what is it that we need to do as a country, as a government to achieve these.”
“So what is being presented really to these validations exercise would be the plan which is basically a matrix of the policies, the strategies, the key actions that are required and performance indicators with some timelines,” Williams noted.
The first validation meeting was held on Wednesday 9 March for Farmers Groups at Sea Breeze Inn in Castle Bruce on March 9, the second with participation from the Private Sector at the Garraway Hotel, while the third will be held on March 11.
as long as these labour party minons have their clepto in trying and revive dominica, we must FAIL. the evidence is there after 15 years
Mr. Williams, I know you are a patriot and want to do the right thing. However you are a smart man so don’t allow this cabalist regime to use and tarnish your good name.
They will leave you hanging with an unfinished policy or a policy awaiting review for the next couple years and right before election start doing some minor things to fool the masses. Mark my words, poor, bad or ugly you will be right in the middle for driving a bad, flawed or misdirected policy.
Always Assertive!
These apologists of Skerrit are worst than him….Watch his RED tie!!!!!
An ex President as a consultant to cadge more money from gullible overseas donors. We already had a BAM , that turned into a fizzle. Mr. Williams can join the ranks of the Baroness’s sister, who I am sure will render their consultancy services pro deo out of love for country. If I sound sceptical, I am. Let Eliud Williams prove me wrong and I shall be delighted.
We in Dominica talk too much..see we can recall how many policies that were written for Agriculture Development and this one will be added to the thick pile on the tallest shelf in the Ministry of Agriculture to collect dust unless we have well meaning strategic leaders. Leadership that thinks of country and people first regardless of party or political persuasion.
Let’s not forget Mr. Williams was appointed head of reconstruction committee after Erika..No report yet!!..The problem in DA is not a lack of ideas or policies..The problem is implementation..
It is time now for Dominicans to wake up and stop depending on inept people to save us from our demise because their main goal is to seek for their own financial salvation..Get these tet chiens out of office..they don’t know what they doing..
Some shall eat all. What is the plan/policy that is presently guiding the Agriculture Industry? Some in passport selling. Some in all kinds of stuff. That is why none of the Cabal apologists, defenders, protectors could dare stand up sincerely against child abuse, women abuse, or speak against corruption, bad governance, bobols, kick-backs, or any criminal acts committed by other “Big Wigs.” Greed, selfishness cloud their everyday lives.
Best news ever. Mr Williams u are very intelligent. Do it with passion and skerrit pls let Dominica walk that road map. Let it become a damn reality. U cause us too. Much grief. Let ur legacy be the pm who revitalised and make Dominica agriculture a booming industry. Do something right pls? Do not use the bam money for anything but to revitalized the agriculture industry. Make E O Leblanc proud. Do a damn good thing once in ur life. The country is cring.. We are blessed with fertile soil. Skerrit do not mess this one up pls
I applaud what you say, comes form your heart, but the heart of Skerrit has not been in and for Dominicans now for years. He has been graduated with a foolish pride and doctored with no development in Dominica. Skerrit is too far gone, his politics is of questionable deeds. Dominica is crippled and he and his corrupt DLP government must go
you just an angry man talking like that
I thought that the PM said that agriculture was dead and the only options we have for developing DA was the sale of passports or additional taxes.
Previously he stated that our future depends on off-shore services and tourism, I am really really confused
We settle for a retired former President!!!
What is wrong with our human resource capacity?
same faces get shifted around different offices………same old tune!
I don;t expect anything of significance to come from you sir.
Why have the administration been dragging their feet to address agriculture?
where is de director of agriculture??
But de former parl rep from newtown has agriculture in his blood!!!!!!
we catching at straws now!
what is de response from de proposal by OJ Seraphine regarding de container boat to ship our agricultural produce in de region??????????
Am i supposed to take this seriously at all????
“So my role as consultant is to really develop the Policy and Action Plan, which is really setting out the road map for agriculture in Dominica in the next ten years,” he said.
Mr. Williams, you expect this to be achieved with this inept government and poor leadership in office running the country which now has become obsessed with corruption and ineptness? Who is going to implement this strategic Plan sir, Roosevelt Skerrit.? I bet he will not read it and will by pass it for fast food cash, that is passports. This is now our main industry. Good luck sir, for Dominica`s sake.
This is another political gimmick, just watch his attire, he has to make sure that he show them that he is representing them and that he is one of them, and if u are not one of them they will not have u there speak for them check it out1
Was it not two years ago they had a national Agri policy. The Douglas econmoist was talking about. This place has some real issues.
Big time, Shaka Zula. And before Douglas, IICA had prepared a policy.
Every year countries collect,analyse,publish statistics on the various sectors of the economy. They use these to see the performance of the various major sectors and to plan for improvement of each sector in the future. After 15 years in office what was the Skerritt led government seeing in those numbers that they allowed the all encompassing sector,which touches the lives of all communities, to deteriorate to the extent that it has.The result has been a massive increase in poverty.Was the government blind or asleep?Skerritt has been tone deaf to those who have been saying that agriculture needed attention. So much so he punished the productive community in Salisbury by refusing to repair public farm access roads.The economy needs diversification but hotel employment is not for all,and can’t employ people the way agriculture does.President Williams is a good person to lead this effort but as long as Skerritt is PM I don’t have hope for success.Failure is Skerrit’s middle name
This land of my birth! That government has had all kinds of consultation, consultancy and plans on agriculture…all sitting picking up dust…one time you hear that passport selling is the only option. Where are we headed as a nation?
Everything allu spoke about and nothing is the same thing.. Our millions in passport money for u to seek an invest in us and agriculture… We need factories even if is blenders an pressure cookers we hav to start with
Oh now the corrupt regime cant sell more passports,Agriculture is coming back,you fools took so long after it is gone.
That’s a road map that cannot be detected by Rader man. It’s a road map map that neither Skerrit nor Elud William knows where it leading to. Shame on Mr. Williams for allowing the respect he once earned to be used by Skerrit whenever he feels like
Another plan!?! What will become of it? Will it sit on the shelves gathering dust like so many others? We keep moving in circles in this country. Mr. Eluid Williams, who served in the public service for many years, is well aware of this repeated cycle of plan preparation over the same areas and no or very little implementation. WE HAVE ENOUGH SECTORAL PLANS! The essential requirements for taking these plans into implementation mode and eventual success are national ownership, political commitment to implementation of the plans, organizing the civil service to deliver on the plans and providing the necessary resources, including capable project/programme managers, for implementation. Without these things in place, we are just moving in circles as we have been doing since the 1990s.
Labor ka fe trop travay. These bunch of ripe bananas always planning something then in a few months time you not hearing anything about it. If there was an award in Hollywood for planning this labor government surely deserves it because that’s all the good at. They should rename all the offices to ministry of planning. I’m starting to think that these guys are cursed. With the small minded thinking that’s going on in this place the island fate is signed and sealed. Too late to turn back now. We’ve danced with the devil now our souls must be sacrificed. The devil is on one shoulder with his fork overlooking the scene and god is on the other one bearing witness!!!!
Whaaat….only now””??
Lip service just because everyone flabagasted..