The Government of Dominica continues to invest heavily in the agriculture industry.
Prime Minister Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit has revealed that in this year’s budget four million dollars will be allocated to purchase a boat to facilitate the transportation of produce to neighboring islands.
“In our discussions with people who have had over fifty years of experience in shipping, they have said to us they think that we can get a decent boat that would address not in total but in part the challenges confronting the transportation of produce for about seven hundred thousand US dollars so that four million is certainly adequate to cover the purchase of at least one boat.”
At present the existing boats currently trade with islands to the north. The purchase of the vessel however, will result in an expansion in trade.
“So you have a huge gap in terms of consistency to the south of Dominica, Martinique, Barbados and Trinidad so Dapex and Dexia who normally would get markets in Trinidad, Barbados and Martinique etc are unable to supply on a weekly consistent basis because of the unreliability of transportation to those islands.
I even understand that Dapex has had to charter boats out of St. Lucia and Barbados to transport the produce to those markets and I believe that if we can continue enhancing quality production to get us to the level where we can supply those markets on a consistent basis and we can continuing addressing the issue of proper marketing and providing farmers with the marketing support and also addressing the issue of inconsistency in transportation I believe that we can certainly take advantage of the markets in the region where Dominica can supply fresh agricultural produce.”
Funding will also be made available to assist existing boat owners to improve their vessels to facilitate trade. That includes the installation of on-board refrigeration equipment.