Global Affairs Canada pledges financial support to Dominica Emergency Agricultural Recovery Project

​The Government of Canada, through Global Affairs Canada, has announced its financial support for the World University Service of Canada’s (WUSC Caribbean) Dominica Emergency Agricultural Recovery (DEAR) Project.
 
Canada’s Disaster Responsive Fund is providing XCD $350,000 to the project, which will support the rehabilitation of Dominica’s domestic ‘Irish’ potato crop. WUSC Caribbean, working in collaboration with the Dominica Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries, and with additional support from private donors, will provide the following support to potato farmers that have been affected by Hurricane Maria:
 
A 20-foot container of elite potato seed varieties is being imported from Canada in early December, 2017 (the seed varieties had previously been successfully grown under trials supported by the PROPEL project, implemented by WUSC Caribbean in Dominica with Canadian Government funding assistance);
 
Support for land clearing and preparation of fields previously used by farmers for potato production, including the provision of two tillers to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries; Providing farmers with essential tools required for agricultural production to replace those lost during the hurricane;
 
Providing farmers with the agricultural inputs (as approved by the Ministry) required to produce the potato crop; and Technical support and training in collaboration with the Ministry agriculture extension service teams.