Farmers Sell Their Products Online, As 1,700+ Register For Backyard Farming

The Dominica Manufacturers Association (DMA) has expressed satisfaction that farmers now use social media to market their farm products. This new initiative will promote social distancing to curtail the spread of COVID-19 as well as aid the use of internet technologies to order and deliver farm produce. DMA President, Severin McKenzie, said the new initiative will supply the nutritional requirements of households across Dominica.

According to McKenzie, the new use of social media to promote and deliver farm products to households and among farmers is a collaboration between the DMA and major media institutions in Dominica. He stated that farmers and consumers have embraced the initiative and making the most use of it. He said many consumers contact farmers directly on the dedicated social media channels to place orders that are delivered daily or weekly.

“So the initiative we have taken having this facility for people to purchase particularly their fresh produce, ground provisions and vegetables online or via telephone-WhatsApp has proven to be a very convenient approach for a number of persons,” he stated.

Meanwhile, more than 1,700 people have registered with the Ministry of Agriculture and National Food Security to grow their own food through backyard farming initiatives. Through the newly launched Coronavirus Food Security Programme, interested persons can be supplied seeds and seedlings for backyard gardening as a way to personally grow family food since CODIV-19 lockdown has restricted public movements.

Agricultural Officer, Dr. Al Mario Casimir said seedlings will be distributed agriculture extension officers on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays across all districts. “The regional teams are now going through the names and making that one-on-one contract via telephone to inform participants of our readiness to distribute their seedlings,” he noted.  

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