Farmers in Salisbury Heights and Carholm will soon see improvement to the feeder roads in those areas.
That relief comes after a site visit led by the Hon. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit on Wednesday March 4th, with a team of Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and Technical Officers.
The Prime Minister has deemed the road conditions an emergency.
“Clearly these areas are highlight productive especially on the Carholm end of the road but the farmers certainly need help. There are sections of this road which are almost totally impassible. One can appreciate the challenges of farmers who may have loads of dasheen and yams on their pickup trucks having to maneuver this road. I am committed to, as Minister of Finance, making some monies available almost immediately to fix some of the terrible sections.”
Although over $670,000 was approved under the Banana Accompanying Measures programme to address dilapidated feeder roads across the island, the Hon. Prime Minister says the monies will not be available quick enough to address the situation.
“There are certain conditions and procedures which are set over which we have no control. The Ministry of Public Works has done the validation of all the estimates for those roads; the contract was issued to a St. Lucian company to come in to review those reports and visit some of these roads and advise on how we should approach the construction of these roads. The exercise is ongoing and we expect it to be completed in the next six weeks or so but one recognizes that after this is done, we still have to go through the tendering process and it will take some time.”
The Hon. Prime Minister says however, “I don’t think the farmers can wait; neither can I or the Ministry of Agriculture wait for that to happen so we can address some very critical areas.”
He revealed that, “The idea is to do some critical areas and allow the BAM [programme] to do the other sectons.”
The Hon. Minister for Agriculture, Johnson Drigo, stands in unison with the Hon. Prime Minister and says the farmers of the area will soon have better roads to access their farms.
“The farmers of the Carholm area are very hardworking farmers. We can see the extent of production that we have here…We can promise the farmers of the Salisbury Heights and Carholm areas that relief is definitely on its way because we recognize the importance of these farmers not only for food security but export. We must continue to support the farmers in this area,” Hon Drigo added.
The Hon. Member of Parliament for the St. Joseph Constituency, Kelvar Darroux, says it is his responsibility to assist the farmers of his constituency.
“We have already spent some money on this road through the Ministry of Finance on two occasions last term. We spent in expense of $300,000 on certain sections of the Carholm Road. This time around we can expect to spend some money to assist the farmers a bit further. I believe the farmers deserve this because…I visit them on their farms and see how industrious they are, how much effort they put into their farms.
“Moving ahead, I am very happy that the Prime Minister has made the commitment to ensure that there is some monies set aside to have some work done here.”
The Hon. Prime Minister says once the estimates reach the Ministry of Finance, work will begin within 72 hours.
Is labour a new party ? They are basically admitting they messed up for the past 15 years – how dumb are Dominicans
The entire government is a joke!
Mr. Louis and the farmer group on the Matt Q95 show have been talking about that road for years. Skeritt ends up in the area, pressure is put on him, therefore, he had to make a statement. In march of 2014, Blackmore, in Marigot, said approximately eighteen feeder roads including Carholm, $42 million will be spent to repair feeder roads, he came, he has gone, another big fat lie. Skeritt oui pa las martie.
Me as minister if finance. PM likes to hear himself say these words. Reminding people what power he holds and how important he is in making decisions. He is incharge of the purse and the police and it makes him feel good. If is not for me Roosevelt skerrit who as minister of finance you farmers will be hopeless.
All you ain’t seeing Dominica is runned by a psychopath. I do not have to be a psychologists to see that.
No one challenge, Hon. Hector John’s calls for the repair of feeder roads in the Salisbury Constituency over the years. On Wednesday March 4th, 2015, PM Skerrit lead a delegation to the Salisbury Heights and he didnt have the respect to atleast invite Hon. John. And the PM has the nerve to speak about Olive Branch.
Skerrit has no credibility on this issue like many others. Soon, he will travel to Marigot and say the same things about the roads there. More Dominicans here and abroad will eventually see the true nature of the man as the five years elapse. The fact is the record of this man in terms of economic and social development is abysmal. Dr. Honychurch described the economic policies of the UWP administration as a mirage. the same can be said of the DLP Govt. It is in fact a bigger mirage, but the doctor won’t say the same thing about the DLP because of his partisanship which is so now obvious. Whenever the govt cash flow further tightens, Skerrit asks Venezuela or China for a helping hand to smooth the present challenge until the next round, appearing to some like a magican. But the underlying economic diseases persist and are worsening. Skerrit’s approach is like treating a gangrene with a plaster.
People please stop complaining. You all just voted him in again. Just take it as it is. You all will be fooled again and again.
Blue vex people alone that commenting on that topic man! Eben yo enwadje!!
what about the PINEZ sir? is that an emergency too?
Salisbury farmers really have suffered , no credit should be given to the pm or his govt. this is worse than an emergency it’s a shame and a disgrace.
This PM is a joke, maybe he should stop traveling abroad so much and visit the different areas in DA. I last travel on the caholm road in 2012 and the condition was terrible back then, so if this guy knew his country he would not be only saying now that this road is an emergency.
They made a mockery Hector Spags John every time he brought the issue to the public. At one point they even said that the roads are like they are because the opposition was not coming to parliament.
Blackmore bit his chess claiming that they had taken care of the road issues.
The terrible feeder road condition had been n emergency matter for the last 10 years yet we build a palace for pride,tax payers money were used to purchase votes
Why cant they contract Public Works, as they have nothing doing, why go all the way to St. Lucia to hire a contractor? I would think that charity begins at home.
Its not only the farmers from Carholm and Salisbury that are hard working, the farmers all over the country are hard working farmers,but most of them abandoned their fields due to the road conditions. I’m not hoping that this will drag on into the next general election?
Its sad to see how bad the government has failed the agriculture sector. No country survives without agriculture. Even the great USA allocates billions of dollars to farmers to ensure they are productive.
Nigel stop running your gel nah, billions they give to farmers and is only undocumented Mexicans you find on those farms? farmers pay taxes in the states, how much taxes do they pay in DA? do you know all the Millions that was put into farming to fight Black Sigatoka? you all can fool you all selves but not me though, you have DAPEX that’s put in place to help the farmers the have the place like their biggstoe you have millions missing from them but is the PM that did farming wrong, boy go read your Proverbs eh.
Where have you been in those days when such roads were so small that only one person not two or more abreast) at a time could walk on them? Or were you not yet born or too small to know these things? One person was ahead and the others walked in line behind. Those farmers and helpers (whoever they were) had to carry the produce on their heads unless they had donkeys to carry the load.
Today, D/ca has progressed so much and with more vehicles and modern ones that it was necessary to construct roads, the like of which D/ca never had in those days. I can state, today D/cans are fortunate, more than in those days.
Therefore, cease blaming the PM. He has enough on his shoulders which also stem from your criticisms which you add to it. Be appreciative and grateful for what he has done so far.
Consider where is all that money coming from. It is something some of you never give a thought to, as if he can just pick the money off a tree to do all what is necessary immediately.
Hey Fact,What century are you living in?The farm roads are a disgrace and have been neglected for the past 15yrs.So go find your donkey.
This PM is a big joke….for real……
My PM is not telling the truth.
One of these days somebody will have to take de clothes of that …..!!!!!!
In a DNO report dated Tuesday march 11, 2014, Blackmoore was addressing an inauguration of the marigot village council and hear him boast: “We shall be addressing 72km of our feeder roads. in factthe survey works are being done, including marigot…..to bring relief to our farmers. We are talking about $42 million to be spent on feeder roads in this country.”
According to what i read here only $670,000 was approved under BAM to address dilapidated feeder roads across the island.
You trying to fool me again!!!!!!
Mr Drigo and de Minister of Finance Roosevelt Skerrit.
Again!!!!! you going back on your promises.
Or was that just idle talk to boost peoples conscience just a few months before general election?
Well i am not a DLP follower i can’t fall for dem old tricks.
I am not blind folded!!!!
Oh Skerrit! Please do away with these sadistic tendencies that you have. For over a decade the farmers of Salisbury have been screaming for relief, they demonstrated on the streets of Roseau, their MP has been on his knees begging for something to be done, you ignored them. Now you take Shanks and trying to make yourself a hero with a declaration that work will begin within 72 hours.
You enjoy seeing people suffer and then you come to their rescue as a saviour. I am convinced that you have read all the nasty political books including 1984, on how to control the people’s minds. This is not good and you better change your bad ways because in 1984 even the Big Brother collapsed.
1000% in agreement, well said.
He knows the problem exists. He is too narcissistic and self serving. Good for the Ministers of works and agriculture.
I think the words you’re looking for are THANK YOU!
Harry Mack in 1977 as a young man more of a boy after then 6th form college deceided to join the dept of Agri & was stationed in Salisbury as an extension officer. and doing these area of Rushdor ,Cuba,Carholm etc. In addition I had prior knowledge of the heights as my relative own many an acre there. In those days we worked whilst in 6th form and before eating marcaroni and backs & necks as fuel for our young bodies. Skerrit was not yet alive as am sure am a decade plus older than he is.
I have migrated since and reading this is laugable cause those road have not changed . Did Skerro walk any length of these trails ? We carried bananas etc on our heads for many a mile. This fat boy cannot walk with a cutlass 1/8 mile without panting.How did he get to see anything?
Am skyping my cousins in DA NJ ATL NY etc as we reminece those rough sweet days.
I wonder if this P.M can pile an orange /grapefruit without breaking the peel?
unfortunately the skeritites don’t read, far less to know about 1984.
Question.Has the BAM funding been allocated to other budgets,because we seem to hear lots of projects but never any completed ones????
This must be a joke. So long the farmers are screaming, crying and even demonstrating, now it becomes an emergency!
Face the truth. The PM is accommodating to all as he is being criticized by people such as you.
I hope they pay their fair share of taxes and withhold none. Everyone wants help. However, how much do they contribute to the revenue of Dominica? Think of this the next time you have the urge to criticize the PM.
Thank God Skerrit is not a doctor.
Can you imagine you are his patient and you keep going to see him complaining about pain in your stomach and he keeps ignoring you. All the while he is taking your money (his salary).
Now you are barely able to walk and then he takes a closer look at you and discovers you have cancer all over your body. He is now frantic trying to save you (now he is a hero) and time is of the essence.
Except by now, despite his best efforts, there is nothing he can do for you because you are terminally ill.
That my friends, is the fate of the Dominica agricultural industry under the leadership of Mr. Skerrit.
Now we have a hero who has ignored agriculture and now that is at the top of his list of priorities.
You have it right, perfect analogy. Thank God their are a number of you catching-up on Mr Skerit’s antics. This 72 hrs may mean next election promise. But the people of Salisbury are not stupid as he thinks. They know this is a disguise to cover the infestation and termites scandal at the PRINCESS. If he cares so much he would call his friend Vince on his Magic Jack to solicit some American manufacturers for the linens to alleviate the sufferings of our poor brothers and sisters in that hospital. But he don’t have to worry because he just have to call his Jet to wisk his family off the Island for medical reasons. Salisbury folks know better, just see who they keep sending to Parliament. The rest of Dominicans will eventually smarten-up sooner rather than later. I have hope.
Addendum: The PM is just trying to jolt the members of the Opposition and to confuse issues; but these guys are well read and it will take more than Skerit to confuse them. Guys just stay focused while you lay your grounds.
Harry Mark you are right also, not only did he read books – he has some of the best tutors of dictatorship. Look around you and see who he has aligned himself with. First you butter them and when you think you’ve got them you lay the law.
Skerro is a Benjamin Button kind of guy lol!Anyone seen this movie?
this was an emergency since 2010 Mr. Pm. It was brought to Governments attention before 2010… So it took you 5 years to realize that it is an emergency?… well there are some other emergencies: feeder roads in:
woodfordhill
melville hall
Wesley
Layou
marigot
castle bruce
Carib territory
to name a few.. hence part of the reason why some farmers left the industry……
dont expect a jump hurray because you just decided that it was an emergency today.
marpin news showed a clip of the state of the roads in carholm in 2012 or 2013…. mannnnnn you people are wicked
Nice topic to qwayvay Skerrit et Al on Wednesday morning with the famers. I cannot miss this one Skerro & his Mins will be destroyed ,laughed at etc as this is comical.
Skerro has been P.M since when? After destorying the will , the purpose of the people he now realizes that Agri culture needed injections of capital? This economics 101. Which school did this guy attend?
Did Dr.peters not saw this guy did not have it when he pushed him thru Missisispi university?
Skerro et Al deserve Oscars. best Show in DA’s history better than anything seen at Arawak house of culture or at the St.gerald’s or Parish Hulls in the 70’s ask Dr. Alwin Bully,Ray Lawrence, Steve Hyacyinth, La pawole himself Alex Bruno, Sobers Espirit etc all those in culture.
All of Da will be tuned to Matt in the morning with the farmers. Wednesday 10th 2015
And miss the HENG? You must be joking! Really!
The Parl Rep was forced to missed too many of the House Sessions to give proper representation to his constituency. He was instead out at the people parliament, on Facebook or radio where he could not make any proper representation to needs of his constituency. It will feel good to speak the truth some times.
Still the PM is coming. Give the PM the credit where it is due.
Prime Minister, please visit the Captainbruce road in Marigot. Most of the farmers abandoned their farms because the road is in a deplorable condition. The young people want to farm but it is a struggle because of the road.
Otie Lennox? E pala man?
allyuh does labourites dere….allyuh make sure allyuh beloved stay in power but always want to give lennox dem his work eh….he is the pm for di whole country, no?
Stick to the issues. This is not about Lennox. It is about Agriculture bread and butter.
I don’t see why all that bravado about work will begin within 72 hours after estimates are received is necessary. I am 1000000% certain that this will NEVAH happen.
Further, its years now since the honorable Mr. Hector John has been begging for help on these feeder roads on behalf of the farmers. No one paid attention to his pleas but now all of a sudden El Supremo is declaring this an emergency like it happened unexpectedly
. Boy this DLP administration is really the laughing stock of the region 
. An “emergency?” Did the road suffer sudden catastrophic failure the night before 
….oh nah my belly hurting.!!
Assertive, NOT Aggressive!
What does Mr. Kelvar Darroux mean by the following: “we spent in EXPENSE of $300,000 on certain sections of the Carholm Road”? Did he really say that or did the “journalist” misquote him?
HOTEP!
Yeah I would really like to know what he meant too because that totally throw me off!