Dywany St. John of Wesley has been named CARICOM Minister of Agriculture Farmer of the Year 2026, an award presented during the opening ceremony of the Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Jamaica. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy congratulated St. John on the national honour, which places a Dominican farmer at the centre of regional recognition for agricultural excellence.
The award was announced earlier this month and formally presented at the Jamaica gathering, where agriculture ministers, technical officials and farmers from across the Caribbean community meet to review the region's food and nutrition agenda. The title of CARICOM Minister of Agriculture Farmer of the Year is conferred on a producer whose work is judged to exemplify the standards the region is promoting under its food security drive.
For Dominica, the recognition carries weight beyond the individual. Agriculture remains a pillar of the island's economy and rural life, from the plantain and banana belts of the north and east to the vegetable plots and tree crops that supply Roseau and Portsmouth markets. The Ministry has consistently framed farming as both a livelihood and a matter of national resilience, particularly as the island pursues greater self-sufficiency in food production.
St. John, who farms at Wesley in the north-east, becomes the latest Dominican to receive regional acclaim in the sector. The Ministry's message of congratulations described the award as a proud moment for the farmer, his community and the country, and it underscored the role that dedicated producers play in sustaining the sector through weather shocks, market changes and the everyday demands of the trade.
The presentation in Jamaica came during the Caribbean Week of Agriculture, an annual fixture on the regional calendar that brings together the CARICOM Secretariat, member states, development partners and private sector actors. The event is used to assess progress on the region's food security targets and to highlight innovations in production, marketing and climate-smart practices.
Dominica's participation in that regional framework has focused on strengthening linkages between farmers, fishers and the tourism sector, improving access to markets, and encouraging young people to see agriculture as a viable career. St. John's award is likely to be cited by officials as evidence that Dominican producers can compete and excel at the CARICOM level.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy has not yet indicated whether a formal national celebration will follow. For now, the honour rests with a Wesley farmer whose selection by his regional peers has brought the Nature Isle's agricultural sector into the spotlight across the Caribbean.
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