Dominica has received fungicide to the tune of US$64,000 as it steps up its fight against the deadly Black Sigatoka disease.
This after Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit appealed to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez for assistance.
The fungicide and three experts from Venezuela arrived in Dominica on Tuesday, according to a release from the Office of the Prime Minister.
The Venezuelan experts were updated by Dominican technicians on the situation in Dominica at the Melville Hall Farmers’ Training Centre.
The disease, which kills banana and plantain plants, has been confirmed here, with agriculture officials admitting that they are worried about the situation.
Agriculture Minister Mathew Walter told a press conference recently that vigorous steps are being taken to deal with the problem.
“It is one of the most destructive pests of bananas and plantains. Recently it was confirmed present in Guadeloupe, Martinique, St Lucia, St Vincent and Grenada. It is with much regret that I am to advise that banana and plant health experts have intercepted the disease in Dominica,” Walter said.
Admin is not training but service, Melville Hall Farmers service Centre (MFSC)
Annon, I misread your post. Actually thought you suggested replacing it with Gros Michel!
To Annon-Gros Michel or fig jehwah as we call it grows very tall.It’s harder to harvest, and the taller it grows the longer it takes to make fruit. Remember we are usually affected by yearly hurricane season. Believe me, the worse experience for a farmer is to have bananas in bunch to see all on the ground and he cannot salvage anything to sell.
Also Gros Michel was replaced by Cavendish around 1950 because of Panama disease so it wouldn’t be wise to go back Gros michel.
Thanks Helen of the West.
They have already set up clones (AAB, AAAB)? from reseach centre in Cuba, Honduras, and other pacific countries but the taste is not the same. Can’t beat Cavendish. Not fig for fresh consumption
I guess the world will have to get used to eating ripe cocoy for the time being.
beging is the next level i fell sorry for us Dominicans
Well come home and pay your taxes then, what is wrong with you foolish, ignorant people??
We have to give thanks to our friends and stop all you foolishness!!!
Do you really even know how Governments raises money to carry out essential services?? Would you prefer if we had embark on a policy to sell all what we have like the 1996 deal with CDC and Domlec???
Great help. Bananas are still destined to fall the way of the Grow Michel – We jus playing for time. We still need to invest BIG in agriculture over all, to secure Dominica’s future.
So where are the FARMERS?? Are you a FARMER? Have you ever farm?
Who in Agriculture should we invest in?? Do you know that the Government has provided lots of money through the Agriculure Investment Unit for Farmers who intends to go big? Do you know some Farmers got interest-free loans under that program and refuses to repay these loans?
According to Spags the opposition leader in Parliament, the delinquency rate is over 75% and he blames Government for this high delinquency rate!!!! I mean can you imagine that? If the government decides to reduce that figure by taking all defaulters to court and the court orders that they pay or jail, he Spags will be the first to say that Government is wicked!!
We have to encourage our Farmers(the few left) to pay their bills then we will be more sustainable, the fund is a revolving fund if they don’t pay back others will not get!!
some of these types of diseases are deliberate sabotage by our enemies who plan to eliminate all competition in the industry.
Government must wise-up to the kind of dirty tricks that our competitors are capable of.
There are vested interests who will use any means to achieve their goal
MORE LOAN I GUESS
No Queen it is a GRANT!!!!LOOK UP THE DIFFERENCE!!
This Minister has only brought distruction to Dominica’s agriculture.
Just as I said before them guys just always sit back and react after the fact.
They had all the time for seminars, all before but no. If I am not mistaken St. Lucia had Black Sigatoka about 2006 or before, 6 years warning. Magwe sa but they had to wait for people from overseas to give them seminar. Well Dominicans the days of those big bunches of plantains and bananas we were accustomed to fini bat. Now is chu pat fig alone. And farmers it will not be easy to have a ratoon crop like before.
I would really like to know what areas are afffected in Da
I researched a little more on this and they are suggesting about 40 or 48 applications per year with a rotation of fungicides because Sigatoka is so resistant and there are no lines of cavendish resistant to this. I mean a farmer will have to spray once a week and the last banana plantation we used to spray with plane was in Picard so zafeh farmers bien belle. Man this things have more implications than we can imagine,toxity to farmers and the environment, added costs, food shortage the final blow to bananas?
Someone was asking about our frogs in Da.
So much for fig.
I was thinking about those crapaud in Dominica, and I was surprised at how quiet the night is without their croaking. I didn’t hear a single one
Is there any entity in Dominica which has managed to safely store species in a protected environment. I mean the crapaud still on my Caricom passport!
https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/environment/ministry-of-agriculture-promotes-awareness-of-black-sigatoka-threat/
A slight correction it was discovered since in 2006 by the government of the day, new administration came in and Lucians found out how bad the disease spread through the island, we never new how serious it was until it reached the media.
It is obvious you do not live on island and as usual listens only to the destructive Q95!!!
Local Professionals try their utmost to stay away from that radio station for fear of being POLITICISED by the frequent callers and the dunce host himself!!
you mean to tell me that we can’t even afford to buy funigicide at US$64000? Is it that begging is so much in the nature of some Domincians that they beg for everything? I am reminded of the paros on the streets of ROSEAU who beg for 25 cents.
there is no such ting as a free lunch
They will eat your lunch then
Ok i get it now, ‘No such ting as a FREE LUNCH’
Kool so when Hon Norris Prevost takes his precious time on Sunday afternoons (and i mean every single Sunday, rain or shine, storm or calm)going all over Roseau and provide lunch for the street paros’ (They are not homeless unfortunates, just drunks and drug addicts)there is a price they must pay!!
I guess that’s his votes right there, i wonder because they are the ones saying every project that is taking place is for political reasons…. hmmm interesting.
Thank you very much! Now, this is REAL meaningful solidarity and support. Our brothers and sisters in Venezuela have been real friends, in the good and the bad. Unlike some other powerful big-shot «friends» who have used and abused us and discarded us at their whim.
Thank you comrade Chavez. Thank you Hon. Skerritt!
viva venezuela, hola chavez. gracias
Thank you Mr. Chavez again.
OMG > when will the day come when we can buy our own things? we beg for everything.