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Showing posts with label Agriculture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Agriculture. Show all posts

Sunday, July 15, 2018

DLP's Systematic Demise of Agriculture

The Extension Unit in the Ministry of Agriculture is under serious threat of extinction by the DLP government and its hired operatives. Notwithstanding, the urgent and critical need to revitalize the agriculture sector to ensure food security, healthy eating, increase exports, enhanced economic activities and to improve the standard of living in the farming community, the DLP government is hell bent on eradicating such a critical unit.

In recent times, the Extension Unit has been faced with orchestrated challenges and yet still the staff preserved.  With limited resources, Extension carried out farm registration post Hurricane Maria for the distribution of financial support from the World Bank. The funds were strategically distributed in areas supportive of the DLP government. But the pressure and criticism were directed at the Extension unit and not the DLP operatives who politically butchered the original bonafide list of farmers. Despite, the calculated mischief by DLP operatives and the deafening silence of senior administrators within the Ministry of Agriculture, the Officers completed hundreds of complaint forms made by the farmers because of the crookedness of the DLP government with the $18 million. Imagine Officers are not aware of fertilizers given to DLP cronies to distribute to supporters and not farmers.

There is a constant bashing of extension officers by ministers and operatives like, Kervin Stephenson and Reggie Saverin from the PM’s office. It is public knowledge that at a meeting held at the housing conference room with senior agricultural officials to include the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Reginald Thomas there was an outburst from Reggie Saverin who resort to indecent language. Mr. Saverin outburst was in response to sound, technical advice from the plant quarantine officer, Mr. Nelson Laville. At another meeting at the Division of Agriculture conference room, Mr. Savrien was annoyed by questions and comments posed by Mr. Franklyn Magloire, Team Leader for the West Agriculture Region and Saverin virtually open the door and asked Magloire to leave.

There have been many threats about getting rid of Agricultural extension but this is delayed pending the results of the upcoming general elections. The DLP government in on the verge of closing the Agriculture offices for the West Region located in Salisbury and the Central location at the DBMC building in Goodwill. They are so deceitful, officers are being contacted one by one and asked where they would like to work. PS Reginald Thomas has even issued threats to officers saying that they will be penalized if they express themselves about the wrong that is going on. Some officers are so frustrated and are seeking alternative employment. What type of government treats its extension officers in such an unappreciative, arrogant and condescending manner and expect them to produce?

The Extensionists are battling tremendous marginalization from within. Imagine, officers who are not appointed do not receive a travelling allowance and appointed officers only get travelling allowances for a limited mileage of 200 to 240 miles monthly. But with all the transportation deficiency in the Unit, the limited vehicles in the ministry were hijacked by the DLP operatives. The former Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Johnson Drigo left the Ministry several months ago but still has the vehicle received under Banana Accompanying Measures (BAM) funding. Nicholls Esprit, the political DLP misfit who was installed in the MOA was given a new vehicle under BAM to do the DLP’s dirty work and recently he was given a brand new white double cab. All this, when the Extension Unit is struggling for vehicles to do their work in the country’s economic interest.

Whatever will affect the current structure of extension will affect service to the farmers. Regional and subregional extensionists remain united and committed but can not continue to remain silent about the wrongs destroying agriculture. The new minister of Agriculture, Hon. Reggie Austrie,promised sweeping changes. Let us wait and see, if it is not his usual hot air.

How the DLP government can be so blatant in their further demise of the very important Agriculture industry? This vicious attack on the Extension Unit should not be tolerated by any right thinking Dominican. Agriculture built Dominica and will continue to play a very important role in the survival of Rural Dominica.

For the officers in the Extension Unit within the Ministry of Agriculture to properly execute their functions towards the overall advancement of Agriculture in Dominica, there must be; formal and continuous training of officers, well equipped regional offices, adequate remunerations, method & result demonstration plots, proper transportation or access to transportation and most importantly, the complete weeding out of political operatives in the MOA who are geared at destroying the Extension Unit.

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Fire at Coffee Plant - Yet no Coffee to Roast?

A few months ago we informed our readers of the situation at the defunct coffee plant at One Mile in Portsmouth.  We provided detailed information regarding the possible danger due to the improper storage of coffee beans and we have provided credible evidence of the rotting beans stored in the One Mile facility. We were also reliably informed that the facility was declared a danger zone after air quality testing results showed high level of toxins at the plant.
The government of Dominica is yet to deny or dispel our report on the hazardous condition of the coffee plant nor have they denied the millions of dollars spent on coffee beans that are now rotted inside the facility. But the people of Dominica have been fooled and bamboozled for so long that they tend to reject any evidence of blatant bamboozle.
Mahatma Gandhi is quoted as saying - “I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet”, and so we will continue to expose the “ dorty foot” government of Roosevelt Skerrit. Why it is that the “dorty foot” government is yet to inform the people of Dominica of what appears to be the attempted arson at the Coffee plant? Did someone try to burn down the plant and for what reason?
Here is what we know.
There was an electrical system overload at the coffee plant that resulted in a small electrical fire. The overload ultimately impacted and damaged DOMLEC equipment. Upon investigation, DOMLEC technicians confirmed in a report that their equipment was damaged as a result of the electrical malfunction within the plant. We have also been reliably informed that DOMLEC is asking for an external investigation and that they are seeking redress for over $100,000 in transformer repair or replacement. We were also informed that the automated system at the coffee factory was also destroyed as a result of the circuit overload.
We informed the public of the rotting coffee beans and the potential health hazard and the floundering media is yet to follow up on our report. All we are asking for this time is for the media to take a drive up to One Mile Portsmouth – the residue from the smoke is quite visible beneath the zinc façade. We also hope that it is not too much for the media to ask DOMLEC about their damaged equipment and whether or not DOMLEC  provided a report of the same incident at the One Mile Coffee factory.
So far the government authorities have remained tight lipped on this matter even when all the signs seem to point to an attempted sabotage. Why the police and fire department was never called in to investigate the matter is yet another conundrum in Dominica.
Can the government explain to us why it is that the inoperable coffee plant was  running electricity so much so that there were overloading circuits. It simply does not make sense unless someone tampered with the electrical system or that the coffee factory was secretly producing coffee.
Something very disturbing also caught our attention. Up to the day DOMLEC came in for the investigation  the building windows and doors were secured and untouched however a few days after DOMLEC produced their report  suddenly we noticed that a window at the coffee plant was tampered with. We are not arson investigators by any means but from the photo of the damaged window, it appears that (1) someone push out the window from inside; (2) there are no visible damages to the window frame that would indicate that someone pried open the window from the outside; (3) someone attempting to force open the window from the outside would most likely need a ladder or platform to do so and, (4) why would someone choose a window facing the main thruway - why not a window or door that is away from the public eye?
Coffee Plant with suspect window in view (at left) before DOMLEC investigation. 
Coffee Plant with suspect window in view after DOMLEC investigation.
It seems obvious that a crime may have been committed at the plant and the police should have been called in to investigate. It is rather strange and interesting that the people who are responsible for the coffee plant have not made a report to the police.
We know for a fact that PM Skerrit appointed Dr. John Toussaint the VENEDOM liaison and steward of the coffee plant operation. We also know for a fact that Dr. Toussaint is in possession of keys to the facility. It is only logical that all persons with access to the facility should have reported evidence of suspicious activity, including what appears to be a break in, either staged or deliberate, at the coffee plant to law enforcement authorities and should make themselves available for questioning. But then again, if the suppression of crime and corruption were of importance to Roosevelt Skerrit, somebody would have been prosecuted and jailed for the disappearance of close to $100,000.00 worth of construction material during the construction of the very same coffee factory. We are 100% certain that the PS and others at the ministry of agriculture are fully aware of the report on the missing material and that the culprit is an untouchable former candidate of the Dominica Labour Party.
Here is what the Government of Dominica doesn’t want us to know and why they are tight lipped.
In our previous article “Upside Down Inside Out Government” we informed our readers of the VENEDOM Corporation, a joint venture between the Venezuela and Dominica governments set up specifically to operate and manage the coffee factory. A distinct part of the VENEDOM arrangement is that the revenues that would have been generated from coffee production would be distributed 49% to Dominica and 51% to Venezuela as loan repayment. As earlier noted, Dr. John Toussaint heads Dominica’s interest in the VENEDOM Corporation - the same Dr. John Toussaint who was assigned over one million dollars to head and operate an agriculture small business operation and while under his leadership, he has reported a 98% delinquency rate in loan payments. Who did he give loans to? But that is for another day of revelation.
The government also does not want us to know that the Venezuelans have been asking questions about the coffee factory and rightly so, as Venezuela is seeking to rake in every dollar wherever it is owed to them. Within the VENEDOM arrangements,  the government of Dominica was provided with a 3 year grace period that began after the completion of the facility. Based on very credible information, the grace period terminates in November of this year, 2016. Essentially, after  two years of construction + 3 years post construction (grace period), it was expected that the farmers in Dominica would be in a position to supply the coffee factory with the required coffee beans – enough for full fledged operation.
No coffee beans, no factory operation and no money to pay Venezuela come December - Boy oh boy!! Is that suspected sabotage a timely phenomenon or what?
After all that we have seen regarding the suspicious sabotage at the coffee factory, it is only fitting that we ask the Minister of National Security Mr. Rayburn Blackmoore, please follow up on this serious matter. In genuine concern we offer to Mr. Blackmoore the following cliff notes.
  • Why was the coffee plant running electricity when the coffee plant is really a white elephant-dead?
  • Why the window was damaged days after DOMLEC provided their report?
  • Did someone get so frazzled after the DOMLEC report that it became necessary to create the semblance of a forced entry?
  • Who else has key access to the coffee Plant besides Dr John Toussaint?
  • Did someone try to burn down the entire house just to get rid of one rat? 
  • Is it a coincidence that two months before Venezuela is due to start collecting from proceeds of a nonfunctional coffee factory that there is a suspected electrical system malfunction /sabotage at the factory?

It is also critical that Mr. Blackmoore and Dr. Toussaint take immediate action to restore the damaged window as the dangerous toxins emitted by the rotted coffee beans may very well be escaping through the gaping hole. Certainly Dr. John Toussaint would not want to be known as the “Kaka Couchon” polluter and still the one responsible for infecting people with mycotoxins.  
There is no denying that what we have seen at the coffee plant is peculiar but we are also fully aware that the Roosevelt Skerrit administration is capable of chicaneries of all sorts therefore we make no apologies for our paranoia. Just in case Tony Astaphan starts spinning lies here is some food for thought:  History has shown us that arson is a method employed by despotic and authoritarian governments and their lackeys to instill fear on the people and as a means of controlling information. During the old Soviet Union , Stalin would often use fire to control the population, among other things, like the language and all information. The Nazis tried to burn the evidence of their concentration camps during the last days of World War II. The Maldives government hatched out a plan to burn down the office of the accountant general once the accountant general began to sniff out official misconduct. For whatever it is worth - Denny Shillingford stated that Earl "Siko Seko" Grant instructed him to “Just burn everything.”- burn the evidence and hope that the Steven Isidore and Skerrit malfeasance becomes blown away in ashes. Who can forget the fire at Melville Hall airport;  a deliberate effort to suppress any demonstration against illegal voters in the 2014 election. The people are still waiting on PM Skerrit, who publically declared that he had the intelligence on the identity of the person who placed the fire at the Melville Hall airport, to be interrogated by the police

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Three Cheers for Ras Castle, the farmer

Two months ago the banana farmers in Dominica decided to dump their bananas on the road side as symbolic action against government neglect and the government’s failure to secure markets for the bananas. Instead of reaching out to the farmers to help resolve their grievances, the PM and his cronies were on Kairi FM making fun of the banana farmers. Advance societies have long recognized the importance of food security and the need to promote and support farmers and agriculture at all cost. Farmers protest in various forms all over the world and sensible governments find responsible ways to deal with issues relating to farmers and agriculture.
But the behavior of Roosevelt Skerrit and his goons is really no surprise, as the hallmark of the Roosevelt Skerrit operation is to derail anyone or group that does not venerate the Roosevelt Skerrit deity or the delusions thereof. In the words of Alix Boyd Knight one is better off dead than to not support the Dominica Labor Party. But this is all part of a scheme to supply loyalty to Roosevelt Skerrit - A people disempowered is forced to become dependent and loyal to those who govern through despotism and government handouts. Those who decry the Roosevelt Skerrit’s policies must starve.
When the former minister for tourism, Ivor Nasseif, declared that agriculture is a “ third world industry” he was clearly telling us that his government had no regards for the once powerful farmers- once upon a time, the heartbeat of the middleclass in Dominica. The former minister of Agriculture, Mathew Walter told a gathering in Antigua that the government of Dominica is not interested in agriculture. The government was well on its way to destroying the middleclass in Dominica.
In spite of the government’s policies (red sigatoka) and their deliberate attempt to destroy agriculture, a few farmers persisted and we want to commend all the farmers who stood up against the “red sigatoka” and the Black sigatoka. We want to bring special attention and recognition to one particular farmer, Mr. Hilhaire John Baptiste- affectionately known as Ras Castle.

Ras Castle is a prominent and hardworking banana farmer in the Portsmouth area. He is a young man who does not subscribe to the despicable Labor Party handout policy. He believes in the pursuit of economic independence and the freedom of expression - a former fierce calypso competitor and first runner up in the national calypso competition. While the government of Dominica did very little to control the wrath of the Black Sigatoka disease, Farmer Ras Castle persisted and was determined to fight the banana destroying disease on all fronts. Ras Castle demonstrated that he could roll with the punches as well as absorb the punches. Because of his tenacity, he endured. His banana holding now stands in stark contrast to the many ravaged banana fields throughout the island. (Photos attached). Although there are signs of the Black Sigatoka disease on the Ras Castle plantation, his banana plantation remains a breath of fresh air.


Ras Castle Banana Field
We chose to recognize Ras Castle not only because of his hard work, resilience and wonderful entrepreneurial spirit, but because Ras Castle stood his ground against Roosevelt Skerrit and his cabinet (red sigatoka) when the cabinet decided that Ras Castle should not be provided with government subsidies, simply because he publically opposes some of the government policies. This time we are talking about an entire cabinet to include Ian Douglas who is supposed to be an eternal friend and brother to Ras Castle. Ian Douglas and Ras Castle were founding members of a closely knit football club and community group in the Portsmouth area. Even more, Ras Castle is the only organized banana farmer in the Portsmouth area.  Oh Ian, where is your testicular fortitude?

Anyone who experienced the heydays of agriculture should be saddened by the now unsightly appearance of the agricultural fields, particularly in the once prolific banana producing areas like Marigot, Castle Bruce and La Plain. A trip up to the Ras Castle farm offers some hope and even the nostalgic feeling of the glorious banana days. What is more special is that Ras Castle operates a very impressive banana ripening facility on his banana plantation.

The ripening facility on the Ras Castle estate is the only one of its kind in the entire north of the island and he currently produces and delivers properly labeled ripe bananas to various retail outlets. Due to the continuous struggles with the Black sigatoka disease and a debilitated economy, Ras Castle is only able to provide limited supply of ripe bananas to the local market.

Ras Castle Bananas with his labels
In a desperate effort to save face and restore a modicum of decency to the agriculture industry, the government of Dominica imported 20,000 banana plants to distribute to farmers. Mr. Skerrit, in his 2014 budget, stated that the banana plants will be distributed on a meritorious and equitable basis. He said “The criteria for their selection are their history of consistently adhering to good agronomic practices, outstanding overall management of their farms, willingness to take advice, and to participate in training in recommended agricultural practices. The intention, Madam Speaker, is to target no less than one hundred (100) farmers under the program. Those farmers have all been identified.”  As usual, “pawol en bouche” – pure babble. Like all other state owned resources, Roosevelt Skerrit and his cronies decided that the banana plants must be used for vote buying, and so they insured that the banana plants were distributed accordingly.

With their usual shameless and disgraceful behavior, the entire Roosevelt Skerrit cabinet, and even their ton-ton makoutes, decided that Ras Castle should not receive any banana plants because he does not support the Dominica Labour Party. It is only a short-sighted, malicious and oppressive government that would openly victimize a farmer who has gone above and beyond to help resuscitate banana farming on the island. The only organized farmer in the Portsmouth area helping to suppress the importation of bananas for local consumption.

It is also very important that we recognize Ras Castle’s extreme generosity, as he continues to donate boxes of ripe bananas to the schools, hospitals, and other institutions of need, within the Portsmouth area. What a gentleman! Our hats off to you Ras Castle.

The government of Dominica is well known for its unrelenting effort at political victimization; however they are also very good at delivering failed policies. In June of 2016 the agriculture minister declared that the OECS market is saturated and so the farmers who followed through with the imported banana plants had loads of bananas with no available markets. The government with its infinite wisdom and “Cannot do” capabilities, arranged to import 65,000 banana plants from France, but did not see the absolute need to secure markets for the coming bananas.

In a display of dissatisfaction, the farmers decided to dump the bananas at Melville Hall, hoping that the government would respond in a responsible manner. All over the world farmers find creative ways to relay their plight and grievances. Very often farmers resort to dumping their crops in public areas; dairy farmers for example take their animals to town and shopping centers to protest against the price of milk; farmers use their tractors to block roadways. We have seen that when farmers protest in the international community the authorities listen and offer meaningful engagement. However in Dominica the Prime Minister and the “buffoonated one,” Simeone Albert resorted to the airwaves making fun of the farmer. Very interestingly though while Skerrit used Kairi FM to poke fun at the farmers ,goons of Mr. Skerrit were busy behind the scenes trying to get Ras Castle to accommodate the “market less” bananas into his facility for ripening.

A young farmer protesting the price of milk

"The stone that builder refuse shall be the head corner stone and no matter what game they play you got something they can never take away- The fire”- Bob Marley.

Ras Castle is extremely generous but he is also an astute farmer and businessman. How asinine it is to think that Ras Castle would entertain the idea of ripening the bananas for the desperate banana farmers only to have the same farmers saturate the small niche market that he has built for himself. We have come to expect nothing else but lies and deception from a bunch of fruitless characters moonlighting as government in Dominica?

Adorned with a her usual arrogance and her flamboyant ignorance, the press secretary of the government of Dominica did not care to recognize that the farmers were once the driving force of the middle class in Dominica and that in order to strengthen the middle class the development of the farmers is critical. Alas “Only a fool lean upon her own misunderstanding”.

We, who understand the importance of agriculture to our forward movement in Dominica, must stand with the farmers at all times. We want to applaud and encourage all the other farmers who continue to contribute towards the food security in Dominica.  "No matter what rages or changes they put us through keep on bring the good fruit in due season. Everything in life got a purpose and a reason". (Bob Marley) We have listened to your many stories of government neglect and the many worthless promises. We gave you the assurance that we will play our part to insure that this corrupt, lazy and incompetent government do what is right for all the people as oppose to what is right for Roosevelt Skerrit and his cronies.

Three Cheers for Farmer Ras Castle!!!



 
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