IICA Dominica

🌱🚀 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬.

The future of Dominica’s agricultural MSMEs took centre stage on Wednesday, June 3, as stakeholders from across the public and private sectors gathered for IICA’s Annual Accountability Seminar in Roseau.

Held under the theme “𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬: 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞, 𝐌𝐒𝐌𝐄𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲,” the event went beyond reporting on results – it sparked meaningful dialogue on how agro-processors and agri-enterprises can be empowered to drive food security, create jobs, expand market access, and strengthen rural livelihoods.

A dynamic panel discussion brought together voices from finance, government, and industry to identify practical solutions for overcoming challenges and unlocking new opportunities for growth in the agricultural sector. The exchange reinforced a shared vision: a stronger, more competitive, and more resilient agri-business landscape for Dominica.

Setting the tone for the discussions, Gregg Rawlins, IICA Representative for the Eastern Caribbean States, highlighted the impact of the 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐌𝐒𝐌𝐄 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚-𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭, implemented in partnership with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), and the opportunities it continues to create for Dominican entrepreneurs and producers.

Participants also gained insight into IICA’s work over the past year through a presentation by Anthony Cyrille, Technical Specialist at IICA Dominica, who outlined the Institute’s 2025 achievements and its vision for future technical cooperation in Dominica.

A significant moment of the seminar was the formal handover of IICA’s 2025 Annual Report to the Honourable Roland Royer, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy – symbolising the Institute’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and partnership.

As agriculture continues to evolve, conversations like these are helping to shape a future where Dominican farmers, agro-processors, and entrepreneurs are better equipped to compete, innovate, and thrive. 🇩🇲🌿

🐖 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚'𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 (𝐀𝐒𝐅)

Veterinary professionals, animal health technicians, quarantine officers, laboratory personnel, pig farmers, and other public and private sector stakeholders recently came together in Dominica for a two-day 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 (𝐀𝐒𝐅) 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐭.

Hosted through collaboration between the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries Blue and Green Economy, the initiative focused on strengthening surveillance and response capacity across the Caribbean region.

📍 Held at the Dominica China Agricultural Science Complex in Portsmouth, the training featured:

🔹 Technical sessions on:
• Recognising ASF clinical signs
• Safe sample collection and handling
• Biosafety and biosecurity measures
• Surveillance and response protocols
• Packaging, storage and transport of samples

🔹 Field activities including:
• Farm visits in selected high-risk areas
• Ear blood swab sample collection
• Joint field work by IICA, USDA and local veterinary teams

African Swine Fever remains a major threat to the pig farming industry, food and nutrition security, and regional trade.

Activities such as these continue to build the region’s preparedness through early detection, coordinated response, and stronger technical capacity.

🌱 In Saint Lucia and Dominica, climate-smart agriculture is not just an idea – it’s already taking shape.

The project “𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞-𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐬 𝐄𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬” is actively underway, supporting farmers to produce more while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving livelihoods.

IICA ECS is excited about the prospects of this initiative, which focuses on practical, farmer-centered solutions – strengthening data systems, improving practices, and unlocking new opportunities for sustainability and income.

👨‍🔬 Leading the technical work on the ground, Dr. Julian Hill, Director of Ternes Scientific and Lead Technical Partner, has been engaging farmers, agri-business actors, and stakeholders – ensuring that solutions are rooted in real needs and deliver meaningful impact.

This work is being funded through the New Zealand Government’s Climate Smart Agriculture Initiative (NZCSA-LAC) as part of its contribution to the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA), and is administered through the Ag Emissions Centre.

Farmers are being asked to produce more food, meet growing demand from the tourism sector, and respond to climate change – all while maintaining or reducing greenhouse gas emissions and managing farm waste more sustainably.

These challenges are driving 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞-𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐬 𝐄𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, a project being funded through the New Zealand Government’s Climate Smart Agriculture Initiative (NZCSA-LAC) as part of its contribution to the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA), and is administered through the Ag Emissions Centre.