Following an announcement made late yesterday evening by the authorities prohibiting the sale of marketable products in the marketplace today and tomorrow -August 6 and 7, 2021, farmers were eventually allowed to enter the market ground this morning to sell their produce.
Farmers say that had this order stood, they would have had no choice but to dump all their marketable produce under the Government Headquarters to demonstrate their outrage.
Only yesterday, The Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Business and Export Development issued an announcement informing the public that due to the ongoing challenges posed by the COVID-19 Pandemic, all fresh produce markets and vending locations “shall remain closed on Friday 6th and Saturday 7th August 2021 and for the duration of the curfew period.”
This was contrary to the Emergency Powers (Curfew) Order, 2021, which the President of Dominica issued on Tuesday and which listed essential services to include grocery, agricultural, fisheries, pharmaceutical services and fresh produce markets.
According to one of the farmers who spoke to Dominica News Online (DNO) Oliver Walsh, he accompanied a fellow farmer working on his land to the market sometime after 4:00 o’clock this morning, only to be informed of the announcement issued on DEXIA Facebook page sometime after 7 pm on Thursday.
He told DNO that as more farmers began to gather at the Roseau market, sometime after 8 am, armed members of the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (CDPF) came and instructed all the farmers that they should leave. The law enforcement officers eventually locked the gate with the produce of several farmers left inside the market.
“The situation became very tense and some of the farmers insisted that the produce that they have is perishable produce and that they need to get them out of their hands so they were determined to stand their ground and sell their products,” Walsh stated.
He said a few minutes later, the gate of the market was opened and the farmers present were informed that they could proceed to sell their produce.
Another farmer said to DNO, “We had already decided to gather all of our produce and to go put it under the Ministry of Finance and demand compensation. That is not right the way they want to treat the farmers in this country. They could have told us about this decision to close the market on our two busiest days in the week.”
Member of Parliament for one of the largest farming communities on the island -the Salisbury Constituency- Hector John, noted that while these are challenging times, which require tough choices to be made, the authorities should be proactive in their approach.
“When making these decisions, we have to think of some of our key individuals or key demographics to ensure that we give them information that is timely, information that is on point and that they can make decisions where there will be minimum loss on either end,” he stated to DNO.
John labelled as “malicious and heartless” the decision by the authorities to give the farmers less than 24 hours’ notice of their intention to close the produce markets.
“You cannot tell farmers to not go and sell their produce when they have already harvested,” the Salisbury MP stressed. “Knowing that we are in a pandemic and having serious issues with the spike in our COVID-19 cases, the government should at least be more proactive and give the farmers directives earlier as everybody knows that the farmers harvest on a Thursday to go to the market on Friday, and on Saturday.”
As an alternative to closing the market, John recommended dispensing more police officers at the market to ensure that health protocols are followed by both vendors and patrons to minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
“You have two entrances, one from the fisheries complex and one by KFC, so a simple solution would be to let the people come into the market on one side and leave on the other. The police themselves will ensure that the lines are flowing and only one person to a vendor at a time, just to ensure that you have social distancing, but you cannot tell the farmers who have their van loads of produce, that they cannot sell. What are they going to do if they were to go to dump it, who would compensate them?” John asked.
As of now, no word has been given by authorities as to whether or not the farmers will be allowed to vend tomorrow, Saturday- which they say is one of their busiest days.
DNO will continue our attempts to reach the relevant authorities as we follow this story.
The reason that corrupted crook that damn th….; a certain Sir. Knight triple doctor wanted to prevent the vendors from taking their produce to market, is so that all would decay; and when they are hungry, having no money to support themselves; they would have the need to visit with him, to beg for passport money.
Not all Dominicans crave illegal money; you know money we call thieving money oui!
When we duh know the origin of the money we call it thieving money; money stole from the poor under the cover of darkness.
I boy know a certain man in Dominica, in a high, high position, all that little sucker does is wait until night comes, then he dresses in a long black cloak flying all over the place thieving people ting eh!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahah!
That thieving money him give to the little red devils eh!
I hope all Dominicans taking not of what this government that says they care for the people doing eh!
Before opening the article I said to myself, “Good. Because I wanted the farmers to dump their rotting produce in front Government” And to read that the farmers had planned to do exactly that was so satisfying. It’s reassuring to know they weren’t going to take such blatant disrespect and unfairness sitting down. Saturday shouldn’t even be a question.
This unthoughtful, uncaring and chucklesome government CANNOT govern. They only win elections by relying on a most corrupt electoral system.
This decision by Skerrit and his sheep-like cabinet lackeys shows the grossest lack of respect, concern and care for the farmers, vendors and the most vulnerable among us. If this action, along with the corrupt practices, doesn’t shake the consciences of Dominicans nothing much will.
Take a few seconds and think about this. Farmers are among the hardest working, most struggling and dispossessed set of workers. This occupation is their only means of providing for themselves and their families. On the two days when these essential providers get the most patronage, those in power just decided to stop them from plying their trade without time or consultation .
Life has a way of giving a nation exactly what they deserve. For their lethargy and inaction Dominicans deserve Skerrit. Hell for you an me, Heaven for him and family.
I see the person with the loudest mouth in Dca back-back like a karkardore..
! Lawd I cant take it no more 
So now I suppose the people run things by all means. It is sad to see that some of the same officers who came bien-enwhjer to kill somebody is agriculture that sent them to school. If its one time I am mad Skerro get smart and change that decision is today. Farmers always have their garden tool with them so I know there was going to be a real stand off somewhere between the market and financial center. And… there would not be enough police to stop these farmers. Another failed forced policy by the Zefam-san-papa
Today proves for sure that government has not dam respect for the law. The curfew order clearly makes an exception for agricultural produce.
I therefore call for the arrest of the person who approved this Facebook notice!!
And a few persons need to sue the government for this nonsense.
Where were these photos taken. Is it in Kampala or Kigali? Just a question
Why is the market not considered an essential business?
ADMIN: It is according to the Emergency Powers (Curfew) order, 2021. The article mentions this but you can view the full document here: https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Emergency-Powers-CurfewAmendment-SRO-19-2021.pdf
But the Commissioners Ice Cream place is open. And no body talk. I may be stupid, that’s why I am asking, How is ice cream an essential commodity?
This is a reactive unthinking government that does not seem to really process and think through their decisions. They instead vacillate between what they think they want to do, and what the real situation demands. Doesn’t anybody in the cabinet ever ask “what if?” Instead of jumping on the DrX2 whims and madness, one of these bought coat-tailers need to grow some balls and challenge some of these absurd decisions. DO SOMETHING THAT IS RIGHT FOR THE PEOPLE, you hypocritical self-serving so-called leaders.
You put it so adeptly. The cabinet disciples only exist to decorate their Sugar Daddy’ s ego. I’ve Sid this umpteen of times. This autocratic regime can only win elections by treating, cheating and skullduggery. They don’t have a clue about governance. They are not even remotely concerned about the wellbeing of the poor and penniless.
This goes to show how wicked and unconscionable this Skerrit led DLP administration is to struggling people, they themselves have impoverished. It also markedly exposes their inability to think.If no selling of produce was the intention, this should have been spelt out to the farmers from the very first day of the curfew..But does Skerrit and his MISLEADERS think of doing what is right????NO!!
I was waiting to see what the hard working farmers would do!!!
This administration continues to punish people for what they are largely responsible for.
Give the nation a STIMULUS. You had yours!
There we go. Let’s all go to government headquarters and dump something there. That PM will retract, he is a coward.
They see what just happen Vincy… keep pushing the people, see where it leads
Hope you are prepared to pay for the reaction and the consequences.
Only people like you that will pay once we get hold of your corrupt backside. Watch out!
You shut the hell up. You should be calling for the arrest of the person that approved the announcement. You all want us to follow the dam law but are the first to break it.
Go sing for your dam supper at the Financial Centre; not here.
Dominica Government doesn’t know what it’s doing. They think vaccinated people can’t spread the virus. They need to get themselves educated and fast before we see SVG happening on our streets.