Caribbean Times 90th Issue - Friday 3rd February 2017

2 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g
Friday 3rd February 2017
Government targets chicken imports
By Everton Barnes
Antigua and Barbuda
imports over eleven million
pounds of chicken annually,
the most by any country in
the OECS.
The disclosure comes
from Agriculture and Barbuda
Affairs Minister, Arthur
Nibbs during his contribution
to the 2017 National Budget
debate on Thursday. He said
the country is almost self-sufficient
in egg production, but
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importation of chicken for
consumption remains high.
“I am pleased to report
that we are now able to practically
meet the total demand
for eggs with thirty percent
of these eggs coming from
egg production in a number
of secondary schools as part
of the agricultural science
programme. I am equally
pleased to see that our young
people are getting involved
in agriculture so that when
the elders retire, they are
ready to rightfully take their
place in helping us achieve
our goal of food security,”
Nibbs stated.
He said chicken meat production
lags behind that of
eggs, but the government will
take a more proactive role in
helping to boost chicken production
aimed at reducing the
importation over time.
“Our plan is to enter into
joint venture operations with
the broilers by providing
needed assistance to help
them reduce production costs.
The aim is to produce up to 1
million pounds of chicken by
the second year of the operation
and to gradually move
up to a 30 percent share of the
market,” he revealed.
According to the minister
he is prepared to lobby
the Cabinet for lands at concessionary
rates for anyone
wanting to get involved in
chicken meat production as
well as discuss with APUA
for special rates for water.
Additionally, he is recommending
that a mill be sited
in Barbuda to produce seeds,
one of the costly ingredients
in chicken production.
With respect to vegetable
production, Minister Nibbs
reported that the prolonged
drought has hampered production
which resulted in an
increase in imports over the
past year.
In 2014, he said 1.1 million
pounds of vegetables
were imported at a cost $4.6.
That figure reduced to 1 million
pounds in 2015 at a cost
of $4.6 million. However, in
2016, the figure rose to 1.4
million pounds at a cost of
$6.4 million.
He said just over 700
acres of land were under vegetable
cultivation for 2016.
Speaking about Barbuda,
Nibbs said the year 2017
is shaping up to be ‘a very
good’ year for the island and
its people.
“We have major developments
in the pipeline, the
likes of which Barbuda has
never seen before. We have
two major hotel projects
coming (Paradise Found and
the PLH Resort development),
a new airport, several
smaller hotel developments
as well as the construction of
over five miles of road on the
island,” he declared.
The minister said his aim
is to see Barbuda become
a net contributor to the national
treasury and no longer
having to depend on Central
Government for ‘handouts’.