The Government of Antigua and Barbuda is investing heavily in agricultural infrastructure over the coming months, as part of a broader strategy to bolster national food security and reduce reliance on desalinated water for agricultural use.

The announcement came from Minister for Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Hon. Anthony Smith Jr., who outlined the scope of the initiative.

**_“We are now investing in the Ministry of Agriculture. We are buying an additional two excavators, a bulldozer, a front-wheel loader, a backhoe, and some dump trucks. When the Ministry gets all this equipment, we can really ramp up what we’re doing in regards to road preparation and dam construction…. What we have been doing is that we have been identifying key areas where we have good water flow, where we can build some mega dams, which is intended to help our farmers. We are also trying to work on not just the roads that we drive on every day, but the roads for our farmers, so farmers can have easy access to their farms,”_** Minister Smith stated.

The Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda has also granted special privileges to the Ministry of Agriculture to facilitate the timely delivery of these infrastructure projects.

**_“The government has also given the Ministry of Agriculture permission to carry out our own mining for construction material. As we acquire this equipment, we can do our own mining, speed up the process of fixing agricultural roads, and continue with the building of dams,”_** Minister Smith stated.

According to the Agriculture Minister, improvements to feeder roads and dam infrastructure are expected to result in significant progress toward building a strong agricultural foundation, paving the way for greater private sector investment in the sector.

Leveraging a CARICOM Development Fund grant, supplemented by further government funding, the Ministry has secured a substantial fleet of modern machinery to enhance its operational capacity. The government views these developments as essential to building climate resilience, empowering farmers, and securing the nation’s agro-economic future.