The Government of Dominica and the Dominica Import Export Agency (DEXIA) have outlined a national strategy to address the country’s import-export trade imbalance by building a domestic poultry industry and expanding agricultural export markets.
Speaking at Market Day with a Difference over the weekend, DEXIA Chairman Nicholson Esprit and Minister for Trade Vince Henderson asserted that increasing local production and expanding agro-processing are necessary steps to reduce the impact of global inflation and rising fuel costs.
A major focus of the initiative is the reduction of the national food import bill, specifically the more than $19 million spent annually on imported poultry. Esprit announced that the government has spent $3.9 million to rebuild the national abattoir to support this effort. Under a collaborative framework between the Ministry of Agriculture, local farmers, and DEXIA, poultry producers now sell their birds directly to the abattoir, receive payment within 48 hours, and DEXIA manages the subsequent distribution to local supermarkets and hotels. Esprit stated that the ultimate goal of this partnership is to bring poultry import costs down to near zero.
In addition to import substitution, DEXIA is targeting international export opportunities following a recent official visit to Togo and Senegal. Esprit informed farmers that those countries have expressed a high demand for Dominican agricultural products, though he noted that local producers must first address concerns regarding product quality, price competitiveness, and supply reliability to secure the market. To resolve these challenges, DEXIA plans to engage local farmers in contractual farming agreements next year and will organize the supply of agricultural inputs, such as fertilizers, utilizing a structured model similar to the former Dominica Banana Marketing Corporation (DBMC).
Trade Minister Vince Henderson endorsed the agency’s plans, emphasizing that a long-term solution to imported inflation requires agricultural industrialization and greater domestic consumption. Henderson noted that while parliamentary actions can temporarily ease economic pressures, sustained resistance to global economic turmoil requires citizens to produce and consume more local goods.
Henderson called on DEXIA to place greater emphasis on the processing sector and the culinary arts to diversify how local products are utilized. Citing agricultural processing techniques observed in China, particularly on Hainan Island where coconuts are processed into various products including milk and confectioneries, Henderson stated that Dominica must extract more value from agricultural produce including staples like breadfruit and plantains. He added that the government continues to pursue the domestic storage and export of fish, which provides direct economic opportunities for local ship owners and shippers.
