SVG donates 1,000 tissue culture plantlets to Dominica

The Ministry of Agriculture has donated 1,000 tissue culture plantlets (dasheen and tannia) to aid in the rebuilding of the agricultural sector in Dominica that was destroyed after the passing of Hurricane Erika in August.{{more}}

The plantlets were handed over to Dr Gregory Robin, Caribbean Agriculture Research Development Institution (CARDI) representative to St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) at a ceremony which was held at the Tissue Culture Lab at Orange Hill on Friday, October 30.

“… at the CARICOM meeting in Guyana we concluded that each member state of CARICOM we must redouble our efforts to assist the recovery of the agricultural sector in Dominica,” Minister of Agriculture Saboto Caesar said.

“Dominica has a thriving agricultural sector they focus mainly on root crops to the British and US Virgin Islands also to the French Territories.”

Additionally, Caesar pointed out that Dominican traffickers have been offered the opportunity to come to SVG and buy their goods to satisfy their market.

“What we do not want is that the traffickers in Dominica not being able to get the quantities that they would have had on a regular basis to send to their markets; them being out of pocket for a while not being able to service their debts as traffickers and when there is a rebound in the agricultural sector, they are not in a position to continue their trade.”

Caesar noted that like Dominica, the agricultural sector of SVG had been ravaged within recent years by many natural disasters.

On August 28, Tropical Storm Erika passed over Dominica leaving 20 dead, many missing, swamped villages, eroded roads and left over $288 million dollars in damage. (CM)