Businesses In Dominica To Benefit From Competitiveness And Sustainability Project

ROSEAU, Dominica, March 30, 2020 (CMC) – At least 40 agro-processing micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are to benefit from a technical assistance and capacity-building (TACB) program, to enhance their competitiveness and sustainability.

The OECS Competitive Business Unit (OECS-CBU), in collaboration with the Dominica Youth Business Trust (DYBT) and the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), through its Caribbean Technological Consultancy Services (CTCS) Network, is undertaking the implementation of a 24-month project, entitled “Enhancing the Competitiveness and Sustainability of Agro-processors in Dominica”.

The CDB is providing US$140,000 towards the program, with the OECS-CBU and the DYBT providing an additional US$70,000, towards the project, which aims to train the MSMEs, of which 25 will have demonstrable export potential and 15 will be start-up agro-processing enterprises.

The organisers said that the participants will receive training and technical assistance, to incorporate good manufacturing practices in their operations; develop and implement profitable costing and pricing strategies for their products; as well as undertake product development, for at least one existing or new product.

They will also seek to improve the packaging and labelling of their products. The project will also undertake research, to determine the feasibility of establishing a rotational or multi-purpose agro-processing facility in Dominica.

“The means of delivering the assistance and capacity-building to the MSMEs will be through a series of group workshops, followed by customized in-plant training and capacity-building; laboratory testing of products; and a training attachment at an established agro-processing company in an OECS member state.”