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Antigua and Barbuda’s rising import bill troubles minister
Concerns are once again being raised about Antigua and Barbuda’s escalating food import bill, which is said to be draining foreign exchange capital exceeding US$3 billion annually.
Making his presentation on the country’s annual budget, the country’s Minister of Agriculture Hilson Baptiste said as it stands 60 per cent of the local food consumption is from imports. He said over $271 million is spent on food in the country, while the value of the local food is $111million.
“This means we import one hundred and sixty million dollars in food; this is a challenge. We now have to produce more for the local market alone,” he said.
Antigua and Barbuda annually imports over 900,000 pounds of beef, 1.06 million pounds of pork, 315,000 pounds of mutton, 295,000 pounds of chevron (goat meat) and 13.5 million pounds of chicken at an annual cost of nearly $90 million.
“These are the things that drive me as minister. There is no way we should be putting these monies in peoples pocket and our people remain poor. Agriculture has evolved too much for this to continue.”
The minister is of the view that with the introduction of modern technology – greenhouse technology, water harvesting, post-harvesting and handling techniques – the import bill can be significantly reduced.
“We are currently in dialogue with the Cuban government to acquire the greenhouses but in order fur us to get this done we have to clean up the mess that the Labour Party left behind.”
Baptiste also is also calling for the institution of a land use policy to regulate the process in which people acquire lands for housing and agriculture purposes.
“That will determine how we use government land, what goes where and so on, and unlike the former government that use land for political patronage this will not be done under my watch,” he said. (Antigua Sun)