Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Blue and Green Economy, Agriculture and National Food Security, Reginald Thomas has said there is a need for a transformation of Dominica’s Agricultural Sector.
At a handing over ceremony of farming equipment to nine farmers on Thursday, Thomas stated that Hurricane Maria has taught persons the importance of development.
“Maria showed us many important things but one that resonates with us in the ministry is that the way we did things, we cannot continue to do it the same,” he stated
“There has to be a transformation of this sector and these are some little components and through they may seem small in rebuilding resilience these are some of the things that we have to put in place to ensure that we have a resilient agriculture, country and people.”
He said that after recognizing the importance of food safety, this month his ministry has gone ahead to band glyphosate, which is a chemical found in pesticide.
The PS added that this is a step in the right direction by ensuring the sustainability of the environment and enabling persons to continue eating healthy crops.
He assured that the government will continue working with the farmers and encourages all institutions to play a part in maintaining environmental sustainability, access to market and food safety.
Meantime, Technical Specialist of Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) Dominica stated that IICA has developed a program called ‘Agricultural health, safety and food quality’ to strengthen agriculture within various countries.
He said this is under their 2018-2022 programme plan which is an instrument developed through a participatory approach including consultation with all their countries member.
“This programme really exists for two reasons; a need in the country to address plant health, animal health and good safety and quality concerns and at the same time a recognition of IICA work in the area over the years and thus its positioning and capacity to respond to demands in this field.”
Last year, he said IICA was asked by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Dominica Bureau of Standards (DBOS) to provide support for Dominica’s effort in developing a farm certification system for food and other products.
Copiel stated this initiative will improve market linkages for small farmers, and strengthen agriculture and manufacturing practices to comply with global standards.
He said Dominica’s weak mechanisms in agriculture limits market access and development of small farmers.
The system of governing agriculture over the last 20 years has not only failed the people of Dominica in general but the hard working farmers in particular.
It is a shame that the heads of relevant ministries, divisions and statutory bodies involved in agriculture have all failed in transforming the agricultural sector in the last 20 years to make the sector neither productive, competitive and innovative.
They have failed to fully, effectively and efficiently implement the much talked about DOM GAP/ GLOBAL GAP.
In the last 20 years they have FAILED to:
address the hazards affecting affecting agriculture like the negative impact of black segatoka on banana industry.
find lucrative sustainable markets for crops with export potential.
conduct proper research and development for value added agro products for export
attract new comers into agriculture much less commercial agriculture or even agro processing
No wonder there is no hope for future of national food…
Dr Thomas, are you not the one who should be directing this transformation of the agricultural industry?
Just more ceremonies more talk more meeting and more refreshments, while black sigatoka is running rampant and agriculture remains flat
Where are the parrots Reggie ? You said we would get them back – or was it sale or return ?
This is so sad that both of you has been in this or some part of this position and only now you trying to say ???????? Shame shame shame on you.
“Top agriculture official calls for transformation of Dominica’s agriculture sector”
Good point, great reading and imperative. We should be way ahead and not backward. Skerrit is a failure and incompetent, should have never been Prime Minister. Skerrit failed us. We need to rebuild, quickly too. Skerrit Out.
For this to happen we need to get Skerrit out of our government as he has helped killed our socio-economic and agricultural sectors. So therefore Skerrit is a fake and his politics is rotten, worse than a banana and any other crop that he and clowns have ignored and abused for years as they travelled the world to sell our passports and at the same time our farmers and vendors are being reduced to begging on the top floor because failed Skerrit has focussed mainly on the big boys overseas with our passports selling. Our farmers in Dominica are starving, begging, suffering as most are without jobs and income to help their poor children & families suffering to survive. Skerrit Go…
“Top agriculture official calls for transformation of Dominica’s agriculture sector” says PS in the Ministry of Agriculture, Reggie Thomas.
Well said PS Reggie and we know exactly where you are coing from and the level of intellectual that you so posses to advise us on matters of state agriculture.
Now, Skerrit is a fake, no need for anyone to talk to him on matters of states socio-economic development and other matters related to states overall Develpoment. Skerrit has been duped into this fast food mentality where the only concept he has for development of our people is sell our precious passports and yet even if he gets the money he know not how to invest it because he has no plans, lacks foresight and ignorant to socio-economic develop. All Skerrit fast are interested of is to regutetate the same of foul message that “We love our PM wi”, while our people live in poverty, jobless and no clue to development as they await for “Skerrits Red Clinic cash where they que for states…
“There has to be a transformation of this sector and these are some little components and through they may seem small in rebuilding resilience these are some of the things that we have to put in place to ensure that we have a resilient agriculture, country and people.” Well said. Please leave Skerrit out of your professional work, and you are best advised to keep up consulting and updating your minister and other agricultural colleagues. Skerrit is not a visionary, just loves to align himself with weird people who say boldly and ignorantly that “We love our PM wi”. What a joke, what hypocrisy. This is the worse Prime “Odd” Minister that Dominicans have seen. Skerrit is the biggest immature political joke, failed Minister we have in Dominica. This failed immature political clown must account for the sales of our passports, and we are serious. Our Agriculture has deteriorated but our hucksters continue to produce little they can while fake Skerrit sells our passports. Skerrit must…
Poor Pity Views Expresses, no I don’t want your invite to your PITY PARTY 🎉! Why you are the only person who thinks derogatory insults towards Mr. Skerrit? Whether someone is asking what time is it, or is it going to rain today? You Lennox Linton will interject your hatred and devious disdain for Skerrit. Thanks 🙏, but the majority of people don’t share your hatred. Constantly spewing hatred just shows how sickening you are. You are having Skerrit live rent free in your head and the meat on your plate daily! You have also turned Skerrit into a CANCER that’s devouring you daily, Views Expressed. In case your convenient amnesia is currently active the time is presently 18 Past 3
Your severe lack of intelligence is glaring. Take some seven seas cod liver oil sometime
Views Exposed, if you noticed not one person gave you a thumbs up due the hypocritical nonsense you wrote above. You have and cntinue to expose yourelf mercilessly. You seem to be this blind bat after this fake corrupted labour government. You have not touched me, you have ridiculed me and you will never stop me with the non-social message ty attempt to write o gt t me. I am sound, powerful, honest, aware of the incompetence going in the PM`s failed office and I an secured and nice and happy. All I want, all we want is Skerrit to get list, get away from our ailing Dominica and give someone else a chance to rebuild our people and our Dominica. Under Skerrit and with blind people like you supporting this clown our Dominica will get nowhere. We need decency and honesty in our Dominica and Skerrit has failed us miserable and openly and he must get the hell out of our Dominica and our people.
Views Exposed, poor you and your failed Skerrit are outdated, blind, ignorant to the bigger picture of socio-economic development. To hell with Skerrit “Views Exposed”, and to caution you that you fail to expose any views of interest, but you continue to exposed yourself as this fake Skerrit supporter and his failed corrupt Bobolistic Labour government. If you so love your Skerrit, get people with that level of intellectual, smart, politically decent and highly professional, academic, vast experience in good governance, political science, how to address poverty, be honest and how best to get rid of it. Get rid of this on going Bobol, the abusive Red Clinic, where our people who are in need que up at the Foyer of the Financial Centre to be called upstairs in the PM office to talk and receive cash. It appears most return home empty handed. All these fake talk of “we doing good for Dominica” and our people is just “nonsense, lies”. These are fake talk that is Shameful and stains…
Thomas, you are one of Skerrits major mouth pieces and as such can’t be trusted at all. No doubt all the equipment ended up in the hands of DLP farmers, most of which do not even have any land to farm on. Welcome to corrupt Dominica!
I am here pondering on what Dr Thomas said as it relates to the necessary transformation in agriculture and was left wondering who is he preaching to. You are the technocrat sir and you have the ears of the powers that be. If you can’t accomplish the goals just do the honorable thing and resign.
Austrie spoke passionately about the revitalization of the agriculture sector when this portfolio was handed to him. There was no visible improvement with the pathetic and distressing state of this very important ministry. Food security should be a top priority in any nation. Although Dominica has the natural features and resources for TOURISM and AGRICULTURE to flourish most successfully, they are grossly underperforming. Where leadership is lacking everything suffers. Where there’s rampant corruption the various public become dysfunctional.
DA should feed itself first. It has the capacity to do that rather than import a lot of fake food. Good move Reggie on finally banning Glyphosate which I had been warning people about since 2010. Next, get rid of toxic Paraquat (Gramoxone). Too many of these farmers don’t farm organically and put too much poison on the food, thus you have the rise in illness and cancer.
There are too many harmful chemicals in the food that we produce in Dominica. Farmer heed to be taught proper techniques in the application and timing of the application of those chemicals.
Good that we are banning the pesticide,bad for our health,Cancer causing product.
Talk, talk , talk cause talk is free.
Call, call, call because call is free
Remember nothing minus nothing is nothing. Also nothing plus nothing is still nothing. So let’s enjoy some free talk and free call
So, is Dominica still in de agricultural business? Well the sale of the little book must be slowing down drastically.
Let’s hope that something comes out of this because this Reginald Thomas is an uncouthed …hole. He is as fake as can be. The way he treats staff, hangs the phone up on them, sends threatening emails, fosters hostility and encourages jealousy I doubt he is able to build moral to foster a good working environment to encourage productivity. Austria obviously did not want to head this Ministry. He hated it.