“The greatest impediment to our agricultural and eco-tourism recovery is lack of access,” Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Permanent Secretary Harold Guiste said in a statement.
Guiste said the funds would help restore access to several farmers whose produce has been locked on the other side of their farms as a consequence of landslides.
The financing provided by the FAO in collaboration with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, or IICA, will also be used to restore forestry and agricultural access roads, address on-farm infrastructure and fund training workshops to improve farmers’ skills.
Dominica’s government estimates losses in the agricultural sector at more than $37 million.
Tropical Storm Erika destroyed or badly damaged more than 370 homes and two entire communities had to be evacuated because of soil instability and the threat of additional landslides.
