DEXIA commenced the procurement of wet cocoa beans for the 2012/2013 season from farmers in the East and North East in January 2013. The farmers are responding positively to the initiative that the Agency has undertaken since 2006. To date, we have procured 9640 pounds of wet beans. The production and supplies are expected to increase after the rehabilitation of the plots.

The National Export Council Secretariat (NECS) and the Dominica Youth Environment Organization Inc. (DYEO) collaborated in hosting a two-day Market Readiness Workshop held on Thursday 22nd November 2012 and Friday 23rd November 2012 at DEXIA’s Boardroom.

The objectives of this workshop were to:

    inform small enterprises of specific market access requirements in identified markets,
     to increase the marketability and export potential for enterprises which are not exporting and to improve marketability for those already exporting

The sessions focused on five key areas: Quality Assurance, Packaging and Labeling, Basic Standards, Costing and Pricing and Branding and Marketing which were delivered by representatives of the National Export Council Secretariat and DEXIA as well as the Dominica Bureau of Standards. Participants also had the opportunity to engage with key resource persons to discuss and assess their enterprises’ export readiness.

There was a mixture of participants comprising 5 in the craft/jewelry making industry, 2 in the health and beauty service industry, 3 in bath and spa products particularly soaps and 1 in agro-processing of toloma (arrowroot). They were clients of both DYEO and DEXIA/NECS.
Altogether there were 11 participants who received certificates of participation at the end of the two day workshop.

This initiative was in preparation for Phase Three of the Project in Soft Core/Business Development Training by the Dominica Youth Environment Organization.  In Phase One, the Dominica Youth Environment Organisation Inc (DYEO) partnered with the Pinelands Creative Workshop (Barbados) and the UN Women to examine how vulnerable female heads of households in Barbados and the OECS can mitigate the present economic conditions through taking advantage of emerging economic sectors. Phase Two was a pilot Project termed the Think Tank Forum through which a workshop was held under the theme – “Building Blocks for Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Caribbean”

Under Phase Three, DYEO decided to collaborate with the National Export Council Secretariat to sensitize the targeted group in economic and marketing aspects for further capacity building and enterprise improvement.