Qualified professionals in the field of agriculture in Dominica are being invited to register to participate in a dialogue which will seek to encourage these professionals “to rise above any professional ambition, unify in the shared commitment to agricultural innovation and growth, and connect the future of Dominica’s agriculture”
According to a release from the Ministry of the Blue & Green Economy, Agriculture and National Food Security, this “Call to Professionals in Agriculture Initiative” is being spearheaded by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and the minister with responsibility for agriculture, Fidel Grant.
“The Agricultural sector in Dominica has served as the backbone of island’s economy for several decades, creating employment, supplying wholesome foods, and contributing to rural livelihoods and food security,” the release states, adding. “The Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica has made the bold and ambitious commitment to become the first Climate Resilient Nation in the World. Agriculture, evidenced as being one of the most resilient sectors must be at the front burner, both from a supply and demand perspective.”
Without giving specifics, the release goes on to state that there are several issues and challenges confronting the sector and its sub-sectors that will make their growth, resilience and sustainability very difficult.
It points out that with the further development of the tourism and services sector through the establishment of high-end hotels and supermarkets, the importation of high-end vegetables and fruits are increasing in volume and variety to meet consumer demand.
“This trend presents a clear opportunity to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of Dominica’s agri-food systems by aggregating producers and other key players at various points on the value chain,” the Agriculture Ministry posits in its release.
“Professionals with qualification in agriculture and related fields are viewed as a respected resource for the industry’s knowledge, leadership, and service and to complement the traditional farmer base,” the Ministry points out and contends that Leveraging the talents and academic training of these professionals who will be encouraged to consolidate farms and establish a shareholding company, will be a game changer for agriculture in Dominica.
“Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica, will support investments by making available: irrigated lands, start-up capital, greenhouse technology, and six (6) months of farm labour as an incentive to encourage increased production of a variety of high-end vegetables and fruits to include broccoli, bell peppers, eggplants, and cantaloupes,” the release continues.
It notes, “This agro-park vision shared by the Prime Minister, Hon Roosvelt Skerrit, strengthens efforts at building an enabling environment for a higher level of participation of agriculturists who are passionate about the industry and who can continually shape the future of Dominica’s agricultural landscape.”
The Ministry of Blue and Green Economy, Agriculture, and National Food Security is coordinating the registration of interested and qualified professionals who wish to participate in this initiative. Registration links can be found on Govnet, the Facebook pages of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Blue and Green Economy, Agriculture and National Food Security, as well as via SMS text messaging from DIGICEL and Flow.
In order to Progress allyou must focus Locally, Nationally and Regionally and leave the International issues for people in the G20 let them deal with their artificial and refined food issues on their own,,,
Just like those inhabitants in the Caribbean Island Survived before the albinos came, so too current inhabitants can survive Sustainably by focusing a little closer to home,,,
We need to start Linking with our neighboring Brothers and Sisters from Bahamas in the North to our Bredren and Sistren dem in the South and Central American Countries,,,
We need to build a Regional force and start looking out for our Brothers and Sister with like-mined people who want to treat MotherEarth with the same kindness,,,
We need to go back to the old days of Seasonal harvesting and eat what the seasons bring and STOP importing foodstuff from them Albinos!!!
For umpteen of years, farmers and all those patriots who dearly love Dominica, have been calling for agriculture to be returned to the apex position of the economy. But, this braindead Cabinet, with no foresight, unwaveringly refused to accept this prudent suggestion.They are too daft, too full of their arrogant selves to even lend a listening ear.
Now the chickens have come home to roost. The CBI is under serious threat. They have suddenly waken from their twenty two (22) years of hibernation to face reality. Is it too little too late for them? Time will tell.
The country, under Skerrit’s misconduct, is being plunged into doom and gloom. Hardships and misery, like flour, have become a staple of the the average Dominican with little hope of relief as long as the despotic dictator remains in power.
Back to the roots boy Skerr. Ur eyes open. ha! just imagine if you guys weren’t playing hopscotch with dcas economy for the past 20-25 years, by now we’d have a successful and powerful sustainable agricultural economy. But nowadays, the CBI industry is quickly coming to an end, and the dollar a day minister who told you to abandon agriculture and take on tourism, his idea didn’t pan out now did it? ha! covid and maria showed you how fragile the tourism industry was hmm …. so back to the only thing that ever made sense? back to agriculture? ok, let’s go then!
Skerrit has been leading our Dominica for 16 years plus during which time agriculture has decline in extension officers, decline in feeder road maintenance making access to farm land impossible but overnight we’ve witnessed these people trying to make us believe agriculture is the future. Therefore why wasn’t the CBI revenues invested in agriculture, it was spent on hotels only but now that CBI seems to be dying it’s back to the old trusted broom yet this idiot tried to have us believe that our only way to develop was CBI and tourism. Where are the both of them today? After 16 years? What a great big failure!
The thinking which got us into those problems can not fix our problems!
Hot topic, hot topic in town- agree? mois sha mons. Who are the professionals in agree? mois sha mon. Are they from Jacmel, Cap Haitien, Saint-Mac or Pition-Ville? Skerrit you and your passport moguls have killed the boss of the soil. Where in heaven’s sake can you resurrect the dead? I would prefer to walk from Jerusalem to Dublanc than to believe one word voiced by your lang bef
HE can even resurrect the dead, as the last 4 elections clearly show! HE managed to fool all you for almost 20 years now.
No future without ganja being part of it. Stop being naive.
“Too late, too late” is going to be the cry with the Agriculture commodity sector being neglected by a VISIONLESS leader, when the opportune moment has passed this worthless government by.
A worthless government with no view of the future, can’t communicate about the future to the populous. As a result, Dominicans often have no clear path forward. It’s like being in a canoe, everyone has their paddles, but you have no idea where you are supposed to paddle toward because the captain doesn’t know.
If you got no money on you now, you’ll be crying tears as big as October cabbages!!!!!
Listen to Skerrit now hailing agriculture. But isn’t he the same man that over the past 20 years single handedly destroyed our once vibrant agriculture. This man is as useless as an ashtray on a motorbike. When are Dominicans going to wake up?
You call yourself a Lawyer, and this is the nonsense you write. Did Skerrit single-handedly destroyed our once vibrant agriculture
over the past 20 years. To destroy something, you would have had to have it, was there such a thing as a vibrant agriculture industry The DLP inherited when they came to power, and if he did destroy the industry did he go in the middle of the night and put poison in the farmer’s soil, lol. This DLP Government has invested more money in The Agricultural Industry than any other Governments in the history of Dominica.
The DLP Government had to sustain and rebuild an Industry hit by disasters of hurricane and tropical storms, the worst that any Government has ever seen in our history. Do you think that where the Country is today that the Agriculture Industry would be able to sustain The Country at this present time without some sought of diversification, despite still a huge investment. You’re entitled to your opinion, but not your own distorted…
It’s taken twenty years but it appears that the failure of the “next level” to magically transform the economy and improve the lives of the majority of citizens has finally hit home for the poor vision of this Skerritt led government. After twenty years what is the contribution of the existing hotels to GDP? Miniscule I believe. Up to the end of the 1990’s the agriculture sector contributed significantly to the quality of life for the majority of citizens both directly and indirectly. Then enter the era of the double doctorate dude, the man with the elite lifestyle who showed a disdain for agriculture and wanted to drastically change the composition of the economic mix. Just look at the extravagant lifestyle he aspires to, the $64,000 per month bill he put on suffering poor tax payers. The Covid-19 pandemic and slow realization of his fantasy island is forcing him to take a turn back to agriculture. They say if it ain’t broken then don’t fix it. There was no need.
This is a clear indication of reactive rather than proactive governing.
After so many years in office all while putting little to no emphasis on the Agricultural sector, it is now being portrayed as “the backbone of island’s economy for several decades, creating employment, supplying wholesome foods, and contributing to rural livelihoods and food security.”
Let this serve as an eye opener to many Dominicans of the manner in which the current government chooses to assign what is valuable to the nation as a whole. As much as this is a much needed and long overdue endeavor, they ought to carry out this initiative free of any bias or prejudice and allow all farmers and members of the agricultural sector to benefit equally for the overall benefit of the island.
After twenty two (22) years, this DLP led autocracy finds itself wanting, suddenly agriculture is its saviour.
For over two decades, many citizens implored this unlawful, ruling enterprise to empower present and potential farmers. The despotic leader asked f not CBI the what? Now it appears that the proceeds from CBI might be struck a fatal blow by the EU ad the US, agriculture has now become Dominicans new found saviour.
Where there is no vision the people perish.
Oh my…lately i find at last d pm talking a lot about agriculture…but it took him donkey years to realize thats the country future…i am honestly fedup…i am hanging my booth on voting…i had enough…i am a very hard working man trying to make ends meet but they are only seeking the beggers…they are not prepared to help the working class they only see the beboe labourites….but as they say carma coming…such hypocrite to ban d man song…worthy unto those who see one way…because carma coming….as the king pin say…Dominica is not a real country….so true.. one thing i believe u say that is so so true….
Now the jack Hass thinking biut agriculture..I hope they get rid of Mr and his government quick
All of sudden this failing govt remember Agriculture; yet the masses are blind and seem to like the beggar lifestyle
All those Years have passed in selling passports, enriching a few. Plaintaon plants were bulldozed under the watch of TS and FG. Passport selling facing problems. Pure wickedness to a country and its people.
Who said, “If not passport what?”. The fertile soil, plenty water, were there all the time, yet they killed the Agricultural Sector and laced all emphasis on selling passports.
You can fool some of the people some time, but you cannot gool all of the people all of the time.m