The President of the Dominica Manufacturers Association (DMA), Severin McKenzie, and the CEO of Jungle Bay Resorts and Spa, Sam Raphael, have offered their advices on food security and national health.
McKenzie advised that given the coronavirus situation in the country, everyone should go back to agriculture as a way of boosting economic revenue. He advised Dominicans to cultivate root crops and engage in harvested crop processing and production for increased food security. He noted that the marketing value of crops is increased when they are converted to durable finished products.
We have recommended that as far as the processing is concerned, all the children at home who are not able to recreate in groups and engaged in social media should be acquainted with farming and our local snacks. So we can make banana chips and cassava bread and coconut chips instead of imported products for our children. Although this situation looks terrible as far as the health sector is concerned, yet there are opportunities for manufacturing various items at home if people would only try their hands at different things.
Severin McKenzie: President of the Dominica Manufacturers Association (DMA)
Raphael in his submission noted that agricultural activities in whatever form and scale would reduce food import bill and even provide organically fresh produce for family consumption.
I would encourage Dominicans to go back to planting…I called a few friends and they told me they are planting lettuce or some other vegetables and this will help reduce the food bill and give us something to do.
Sam Raphael: CEO of Jungle Bay Resorts and Spa
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