Crops With Potential For Export
DASHEEN 200
ACRES PER ANNUM . VOLUME PER ACRE IS 12,500 POUNDS.
GINGER- EXTENSIVE EXPANSION PROGRAMME BY THE MINISTRY OF
AGRICULTURE
PLANTAINS TARGET 150 ACRES TO BE ESTABLISHED WITHIN A
YEAR- ANNUAL VOLUME PER ACRE IS 24,750 POUNDS
DRIED COOCONUTS-- 15,000 PER QUARTER
PINEAPPLES- EXPANSION PROGRAMME IS ONGOING IN ALL
AGRICULTURAL REGIONS
AVOCADOES-- AVAILABLE FROM MAY-FEB .
APPROXIMATELY SIX VARIETIES ARE AVAILABLE
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Dominica embarks on Cocoa Rehabilitation Project
Dominica News Online - Tuesday, March 3rd, 2015 at 12:17 PM
Dominica is seeking to breathe new life into the local cocoa industry with the help of a project worth close to $2-million.
The Cocoa Rehabilitation Project is funded by the Banana Accompanying Measures (BAM) for the purchase of pruning tools and other equipment required for good husbandry practices geared towards enhancing the industry. “The Ministry of Agriculture in Dominica has embarked upon a $1.9million cocoa rehabilitation project to revitalize the local cocoa industry,” said Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Harold Guiste at a three-day Regional Workshop on Food Safety Standards for Fine Flavor Cocoa at the Garraway Hotel on Tuesday.
According to him, the project which is an ongoing one, has a designated ‘cocoa coordinator’ and is a collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and various stakeholders. It aims to increase cocoa production on the island for both local consumption and export. “Dominica has historically grown cocoa and has done so on a much larger scale than what is seen today,” Guiste said. “In recent years, however, the government of Dominica has been promoting and paying much attention to the cultivation of cocoa and making dedicated attempts to revitalize the cocoa industry.”
In this regard, he noted, there has been ongoing work with local farmers towards the establishment of new acreages and rehabilitation of existing fields, several training programs have been held under the Farmer Field School approach for teaching farmers’ improved cultivation and husbandry practices and post-harvest handling techniques. Guiste also mentioned that soon, the Ministry will be embarking on a $280,000 modern cocoa sweating and drying facility. He added that this level of public sector investment “is an indication of the level of commitment that the government of Dominica has towards boosting production, improving quality and the desire to move the cocoa industry forward.”
Meantime, one of the project coordinators, Delia Dominici, is of the opinion that Dominica is getting a rare opportunity to continue growing organic cocoa. She said many islands, like Dominica, have seen extensive cocoa plantations abandoned, in some cases, for two decades. “The global cocoa markets now require minimum residual level of pesticides, mycotoxins, polycilcic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals etc. in cocoa which pose a threat to consumers in the European Union (EU) and other export countries as well for the local and regional consumers,” she said.
