Technical Assessment of the Cassava Sector

The Government of Dominica, with the assistance of the Government of Colombia, will be undertaking a Technical Assessment of the cassava sector in Dominica from April 28-May 05, 2018.

According to the Press Release from the Ministry of Kalinago Affairs the activities have been designed with the main objective of starting a process of obtaining valid, reliable information about the current status of the cassava agro-productive chain in Dominica, with the purpose of identifying entry points that can be used for promoting south-south technological collaboration between the Governments of Dominica and Colombia, that can contribute to improve the competitiveness of the cassava sector.

The first day of the activity, will include working sessions, during which representatives of Institutions that have been working with cassava, in different aspects (production, processing, utilization, product & market development, training and technical assistance), will present an updated situation of the cassava crop.

These presentations will be complemented by presentations made by the representative of Clayuca from Colombia. Cassava farmer’s groups that are producing and processing cassava are encouraged to participate.

During the second and third day, the activities will focus on visits to farmers’ fields, small-scale agro-industries, research and technology transfer institutions, and other institutions that are participating in activities related to the cassava agro-productive chain.

On the final day, a working session will be conducted to initiate the formulation of a Preliminary Action Plan, based on the different subjects addressed during the first three days with a selected group of technical personnel and farmer’s groups.

This first draft of an Action Plan will be used as a tool to determine the way forward in the cooperation between Dominica and Colombia.