The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries held a National Consultation for Dominica’s Agricultural Marketing Development at the Fort Young Hotel Conference Room on Thursday.
This consultation is a first in a series of consultations with the aim to discuss and find resolutions to stream lining the organization of agricultural products from the farm to the market among local buyers and exporters.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Of Agriculture, Dr Reginald Thomas, says this consultation marks a new milestone for agriculture and the ministry of agriculture by extension.
“It is a direction that will lead us to the development of Agricultural Marketing into places that we have not gone with the promotion and distribution of our certified agricultural commodities.”
Dr. Thomas added, the government of Dominica through the Ministry of Agriculture has spent in excess of twenty-seven million dollars for programmes and training to ensure that Dominica is fully prepared for marketing local produce and the expansion of the Agricultural Sector.
“That level of investment in production support by the Ministry of Agriculture Food and Fisheries has found it necessary to support the development and implementation of aggressive marketing strategies for agricultural commodities produced in the Commonwealth of Dominica.”
The Permanent Secretary thanked the Farmers and Fisher-folk who immediately went back to their farms and back to the sea to ensure that Dominicans would have food security after the passage of Hurricane Maria, and also to keep international and regional export markets.