Rebuilding irrigation systems and improving access to farms are priorities for the Dominican agricultural sector.

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November 14, 2017 at 10:44 PM

Dr Lystra Fletcher-Paul, FAO’s Subregional Coordinator for the Caribbean, presents agricultural supplies to Mr Johnson Drigo, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Dominican Republic, to boost food production in the country. (Photo: FAO)

Roseau, Dominica (TDN)
– Restoring Dominica’s irrigation systems and roads to agricultural areas are a priority for relief efforts and are essential to reviving the country’s food production, which was devastated by Hurricane Maria. These priorities were highlighted during a meeting last week in Roseau, Dominica, between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to discuss recovery and resource needs, as well as the importance of reconstruction for sustainable and resilient agriculture. During the meeting, the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, His Excellency Johnson Drigo, Mr. Harold Gist, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Dr. Listra Fletcher-Paul, FAO’s Subregional Coordinator for the Caribbean, agreed that the rehabilitation of Dominica’s irrigation systems is a medium-term goal that will help restore crops, especially as we head into the dry season. They also recognized that many feeder roads to farms and rural communities were inaccessible due to blockages caused by debris from the hurricane, and recommended clearing the debris to revitalize the Dominican agricultural sector. The damage to the irrigation systems and inaccessibility of feeder roads are a serious hindrance to the country’s ability to revive food production and related livelihoods. These also represent a setback for rebuilding food security in the Dominican Republic and providing markets for farmers to ship their produce to other countries that rely on Dominican crops to meet their own nutritional needs. “Restoring the agricultural sector is a priority for the Dominican government to guarantee national food security, and we must ensure that all farmers, especially those in remote areas, can get their produce to market,” said Minister Johnson Drigo.

Many rural and agricultural areas in the Dominican Republic are inaccessible due to debris jams caused by Hurricane Maria. (Photo: FAO)

Immediately after Hurricane Maria, staff from FAO’s Caribbean Subregional Office travelled to the Dominican Republic to help the Ministry assess the damage and facilitate recovery efforts. FAO has also secured significant funding from a range of international donors to help finance the recovery of agricultural production and livelihoods. As a demonstration of FAO’s support and commitment to helping the agricultural sector fully recover, Dr. Fletcher-Paul presented Minister Drigo with vegetable seed varieties, fertilizers and agricultural tools, which have been provided to the Dominican Republic to kick-start replanting efforts. She also stressed that recovery of the agricultural sector should also include the introduction of climate-smart technologies to reduce vulnerability to disasters such as hurricanes and other climate risks. “Seeds and tools are just a small part of the inputs provided by FAO and symbolize our commitment to working with the Government of the Dominican Republic to restore the livelihoods of farmers affected by the disaster, but more importantly, to rebuild the agricultural sector to be better and more resilient,” said Lystra Fletcher-Paul, FAO’s Subregional Coordinator for the Caribbean. To date, FAO has secured more than $500,000 in financial support to help rebuild the Dominican agricultural and fisheries sectors. The funds include $300,000 from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) through the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), and $100,000 from the Department for International Development (DFID) to restore crop and livestock production and ensure food and nutrition security for the most vulnerable through the distribution of agricultural inputs. FAO’s support also includes $100,000 from the Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities (SFERA), which will enable some fishermen to resume their fishing activities and guarantee the protection and storage of caught fish through the distribution of fishing gear, refrigeration equipment (i.e. refrigerators and ice machines) and materials to repair damaged boats, as well as $200,000 from the Government of Brazil.