Antigua : The ministry of agriculture will be experimenting with a greenhouse project to demonstrate to and entice farmers to utilise the technology to help improve food production in the near future.
Minister of agriculture Hilson Baptiste made the announcement to farmers last night.
He indicated that the country is expecting 10 traditional greenhouses early next year, under an Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) project to be funded by USAID.
“They are piloting it for us, all the arrangements are being done and we are looking forward now to seeing them in the first quarter of the year. Most of our foods are seasonal but with greenhouses we could produce all year round,” the minister said.
Speaking of the life of experiment, he said it would go on for six months and during that time local farmers would be exposed to the operations to be trained and encouraged to take it up.
“The technicians would come in and install them and the experiment would go on for at least six months with the local farmers and technicians. The seeds and other things would be provided as part of the arrangement,” minister Baptiste said.
The greenhouses would be situated in the Sanderson area near Potworks.
Agriculture Extension Officer Owolabi Elabanjo disclosed that once the experiment is completed, the greenhouses would be donated to the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) at Diamonds Estate for continued use.
Farmers who wish to utilise the technology could, with the assistance of government, source and purchase greenhouses for themselves.
“We are looking out for you. I have your back because I want to see our farmers succeed and for us to produce for ourselves as much as we could,” Minister Baptiste added.
In the meantime, the minister also announced that the ministry will be sourcing 20 tractors to assist farmers with their work.
The tractors would be offered for sale to the farmers at reduced costs, and they will be required to pay according to their production levels.
“I expect to have them in the first half of the year to give all the farmers who desire one, a tractor to use. Some will get longer time than others to pay based on their production,” he explained.
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