Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has said that Dominica and Dominicans have the means to grow the agricultural sector into a thriving economic driver.
He was speaking during Market Day with a Difference held in Roseau on the weekend.
Market Day with a Difference organized by the Dominica Export Import Agency (DEXIA) annually is observed primarily to highlight the hard work of farmers and vendors and their contribution towards the national development effort.
“The Government of Dominica has redefined our policy towards agriculture and food production as part of the national reset which is necessary to push our country to greater levels of production,” Prime Minister Skerrit said.
According to him, currently, agriculture in Dominica contributes approximately EC$230 million to the economy.
“Based on figures from the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, though I believe that, that figure is way higher than reported by these institutions,” he stated. “This government’s plan is to keep growing the sector to a level where it contributes over $700 million to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2030.”
Mr. Skerrit continued, “We are told that this is an ambitious target, but I believe that not only is it attainable, it is absolutely necessary.”
He added, “Dominica and Dominicans have the means to grow the agricultural sector into a thriving economic drive.”
Furthermore, he pointed out that the government’s investments over the years are paying off.
“We are seeing increased production numbers in a number of root crops, plantains, vegetables, livestock, and non-traditional crops,” Prime Minister Skerrit said.
Meanwhile, Trade Minister Dr. Vince Henderson said a few weeks ago DEXIA together with the Ministry of Agriculture embarked on a mission to access the country’s traditional markets and to look for opportunities for new markets.
“I wish to say that the Dominican agricultural product is still the preferred choice of consumers within the Caribbean,” he stated.
Dr. Henderson indicated however, that in order to maintain that position and to meet the demands of the markets, especially in the northern Caribbean, “we need to ensure consistency in production and quality.”
“And I know this is a little matter that we have had our own arguments over with the hucksters on one hand and DEXIA on the other seeking to promote the use of the pack houses as we seek to create a nature island label,” he stated.
Helena Williams, who has been a vendor for 40 years, was named the best farmer vendor of the Roseau Market.
Why isn’t the “I’m-the-people” leader celebrating Chinese agricultural workers doing like the Haitians are doing in the country? Instead he highlights a made up scenario where Chinese are on the previous agricultural station near Portsmouth. This ideal location could easily have been given to some local or Haitians to work. If those Chinese are to introduce innovative practices in agriculture in Dominica then let them buy lands in agricultural areas egs. Carholm etc and go to work under the watchful eyes of locals to see step by step new ways of achieving tremendous results with new technologies then the followers will follow the innovators to bring change to agricultural sector. Anything less is glorified bullsh*t. This lipstick on a pig, Skerritt farming in his backyard or old agricultural station side show isn’t convincing any youth towards active participation in the transformation of the agriculture sector. Where there’s a lack of vision the sector remains stagnant.
That’s how the Horrible PM operates, first he destroys agriculture and now he attempts to reinvent the ‘wheel’ again. Don’t all you see that this man is totally incompetent and completely corrupted.
I would go further and say that he is not right in his head.
WE NEED GOOD and STABLE ROADS. WE NEED MACHINERY. WE NEED LOANS TO BE GIVEN TO YOUNG PEOPLE so they can buy the land before the Chinese or white expats. WE NEED TO FILL A LOT OF GAPS BEFORE WE CAN MAKE THIS A REALITY. A whole airport is being built and NOW you ask farmers to step up like we haven’t been doing miracles with current abysmal conditions. Farmers prepared to produce the necessary yields are not getting help no matter how much we ask.
@Too late, I’ll add that even those who held office jobs were very involved in the agriculture sector too.
The cabal loves to lie so much that it’s even lying to itself. Vince Henderson says that Dominican agricultural produce is the first choice for consumers in the Caribbean. Bull sh*t. I don’t know where he got this from but it’s a lie. The countries of the Caribbean are heavy tourist destinations and the shortfall of agriculture produce by their farmers is made up with imports of agricultural products from the USA, Europe, Jamaica etc. The tourists are consumers and they don’t prefer or demand Dominican products. The goal of increasing the contribution of agriculture to GDP is noble, but why now? Why was the sector neglected in the past 20 years? Also mostly Haitians are the ones mostly involved in the sector so how will the cabal entice born Dominicans to return to the land to achieve it’s target?. Will it bring in more transient Haitians? The shocks to the CBI addiction due to poor due diligence has the cabal frantic and acting like headless chicken. Don’t buy the lie.
Dexter is just rubish buying products from the poor at pennies and selling at dollars as if we foolish they their pockets getting fat while ours empty. Dexter has no vision a set of big empty head or text calbass look at antiqua they have nothing but get to exports to Indonesia??? set of jackass running Dominica on remote control.
When the Permanent Mater (PM) / liar, took the prime ministership from Pierre Charles in 2004, agriculture was the main stay of the economy despite our challenges. It’s like everyone that didn’t have an office job worked in agriculture. Bananas, copra, citrus , yams, dasheen just to name a few, were selling locally, regionally and internationally. 20 years later Skerrit killed all of them just to bring in an Aleireza Monfared, type of industry of crooks and known wanted criminals on the run that wanted a passport to run. In fact they fascinated the the hiding of Monfared right here in Dominica where they were able to hide him for 6 months. Skerrit ignored agriculture and instead,ran to the ends of the world to push his CBI passport and did nothing to help and promote agriculture that gave him and many more an education.
Now CBI has become like crack cocaine and Skerrit is under tremendous pressure from international media and governments, the potace now want to fool us with agricultural
As a start, how about repairing some of the dilapidated feeder roads that are damaging farmers’ vehicles.
You keep making promises to fix those roads, but nothing gets done. Instead of all the shoddy houses you built, you should have taken some of that money to put into roads and agricultural inputs for farmers to grow and sell their crops.
I guess it is easier to buy votes with substandard houses for unemployed people, than to give them the means to make themselves self-sufficient.
It is much easier to say “look what I gave you” to a person who resides in those houses. But giving people the means to look after themselves has more long term value to them and the country as a whole. But I guess I would be asking too much to expect that from someone who has no vision on how to grow the economy.
Unless you can provide or produce the 2 items that every kitchen use every blessed day, such as onions and garlic, and not one is mentioned in your plans, I do not think agriculture is working for you.
We already lost local oil and lime, you see the mega truck loads of onions passed the roof heading to shops around town, what does that tell you?
I would like to remind these two men who run the island that a lot has to be done to get to their wishes .Like calling on the young men of Dominica to get to work as their parents and grand parents did. and those who go about stealing mine and other farmers produce should be sent to jail at hard labour and those who buy from them should get double that time for my coconut ,bananas ,plantains that I plant at my old age shame shame on those who buy knowing the thief has nothing to sell
Hector, you should long be retired, unless you are junior to the Hector Marie I remember we called power house after a truck he dove in the 1950’s.
Once people had coconuts, Bananas, and every agricultural product in abundance in our village; stuff were given away.
Since the labor killed agriculture, without educating the youth to the fact that ninety percent of the food we grew derived our staples; without such knowledge, even the older farmers abandoned the plantation.
In a sense, one cannot blame blame young or old, since there are no market for Dominica agriculture products.
One may say we can sell to Antigua, and the rest of the Caribbean: nevertheless, I say if that was profitable, everyone who traffic between Barbados and, St. Martin between 1950 and now 2023, all of them would be rich.
I don’t condone stealing, if it is to sell for gain. Nevertheless,if someone swipes a dasheen, to eat jail should not be a priority.
The book: “The Metamorphosis” tells the story about a man who wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a monstrous vermin. And his greatest concern is that he will lose his job… In the other Metamorphosis story that is slowly unfolding on a once pristine and productive Caribbean island, a PM wakes up from a luxurious slumber to find that national passport markets (their only economic pillar) are running dry. And his greatest concern is also how to stay in office. Thus he hatches an urgent plan to make agriculture great again. But where are the workers?
Juanita, Starboy of a stupidity says things to try to remain relevant and to control the narrative in the media.
Can someone point to one of the numerous toothsome pronouncements Roosevelt made about agriculture is alive and well today? Nada!
Instead of publishing his spurious promises and specious comments, DNO should publish his monthly salary plus his perks. The length of time he has been basking in the $64K taxpayers funded castle, and the precise cost to date to the country (millions). The whereabouts of the billions of dollars collected from the CBI scheme. The vanishment of the $270 000 000 from PetroCaribe debt forgiveness.
Dominica will be is a much more economically stable position if the country can recoup just a fraction of this monumental sum missing from the consolidated fund.
So just imagine if you PM Skerrit and your Labour party government had continued to prioritize the agriculture sector in Dominica like how you had met it where Dominiuca economy would be! You destroyed the sector but every independence celebration you have the same rubbish rhetoric to speak about but no results to show! When it is convenient you all can talk about GDP contribution, so tell us what was Ross University contribution to Dominica GDP? And while you are at it, how much does the World Creole Music Festival contribute to Dominica GDP? “If not sale of passports, then what?” will be your lasting legacy!
Not playing politics but UWP told you this over 20 years ago… And it doesn’t have to be a genius to know that people need food! In 2023 two humans basic needs are food, and energy. If you can produce a reliable food sector and develop your geothermal power plants, we can achieve overnight economic success, surpassing Barbados who has no resources
Did he happen to say what makes it so “necessary” now?
It’s probably bse the CBI net about to be hauled ashore. However, Agriculture in Dominica should have been the priority all along. We should have been the breadbasket for the entire OECS and Virgin Islands. It’s not too late, time to get serious.
In an event highlighting agriculture and the work of farmers, where was the Minister of Agriculture? Is Skerrit or Vince the agriculture Minister? By the way who is Dominicas Minister if agriculture? Do we even have one? Agriculture is on life support in Dominica, because it was replaced with passport sales to crooks and criminals! The young men who can transforn the industry are smoking their lives away!!!
It’s so shameful that in the world’s biggest cabinet, one Starboy of Stupidity is the minister of everything!
This guy believes that when he babbles, it’s just labourites that’s his audience. Observe well when he quoted the figure of EC$230 MILLION, in a very sleeky way, he left out the YEAR! OMG!
Skerrit …………..if you had put half as much effort in agriculture as you have put in CBI would we be selling bananas and breadfruit to China?
Would our new NEP be farm workers?
Would we have a farmers market on Independence Street and Cork Street?
What would agriculture really look like in DA?……..One really wonders???
What is de benefit to our Ministry of Agriculture to have Chinese in control of de One Mile Agricultural Station?
You mean China not interested in Dominica being de breadbasket of de Caribbean? After how many years Skerrit?
Skerrit making more moves in nasty business than agriculture!!!!!
look at where Skerrit solidifying his popularity and fame!!!!!!
when Christmas come around look and see how much real agricultural produce will circulate to needy households!!!!!……That’s Skerrit agriculture motive……..will it come before de airport?
Dominica had the best thriving bananas industry in the sub-Caribbean . All of the countries in the Lesser Antilles were inundated with agricultural produce from Dominica. Today, the Roosevelt led incompetent oligarchy has practically massacred every crop (plantain, bananas, potatoes, yams, dasheens, etc) which is produced in Dominica.
Many of the feeder roads to local farmlands have been made impassable because of neglect by this deadbeat administration.
Starboy of Stupidity has used this line of increasing agriculture production like a recurring campaign slogan. Yet, after twenty years as prime minister, Dominica is suffering from severe food insecurity.
Lack of astute and visionary leadership for the past twenty years, and not lack of time, is the primary reason for the plethora of problems in Dominica.
When the Permanent Mater (PM) / liar, took the prime ministership from Pierre Charles in 2004, agriculture was the main stay of the economy despite our challenges. It’s like everyone that didn’t have an office job worked in agriculture. Bananas, copra, citrus , yams, dasheen just to name a few, were selling locally, regionally and internationally. 20 years later Skerrit killed all of them just to bring in an Aleireza Monfared, type of industry of crooks and known wanted criminals on the run that wanted a passport to run. In fact they fascinated the the hiding of Monfared right here in Dominica where they were able to hide him for 6 months. Skerrit ignored agriculture and instead ran to the ends of the world to push his CBI past and did nothing to help and promote agriculture that gave him and many more an education.
Now CBI has become like crack cocaine and Skerrit is under tremendous pressure from international media and governments, the potace now want to fool us with agriculture
many things attainable here, but still not achievable.