The Minister for Agriculture updated Cabinet on the continuing collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), which remains a critical partner in the Government’s efforts to reposition agriculture as a major pillar of economic growth, food security and climate resilience in Antigua and Barbuda.
Cabinet was informed that several initiatives are advancing under IICA’s 2025 Technical Cooperation Programme, with Antigua and Barbuda serving as one of the principal beneficiaries of regional projects aimed at improving agricultural productivity, strengthening disaster preparedness and enhancing food and nutrition security.
Among the flagship programmes is the Next Generation Sweet Potato Production in the Caribbean Project, being implemented jointly by IICA, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI). The project seeks to increase productivity and the utilisation of sweet potato genetic resources while improving food security.
Activities include the introduction of improved planting materials, the testing of high-yielding and climate-resilient varieties, farmer training in good agricultural practices, and the strengthening of pest management systems to reduce crop losses.
The initiative will also explore value-added opportunities, including the production of flour, mash and chips, while encouraging greater participation by women, youth and lead farmers in the development of a national sweet potato value chain.
The Minister also highlighted progress under the Mobile Seed Bank Project, an IICA-CARDI initiative designed to strengthen disaster preparedness and post-disaster agricultural recovery throughout the Caribbean.
Antigua and Barbuda, together with Dominica, has been identified as a primary country of focus due to its seed production and storage capabilities.
Cabinet was advised that the project will pilot a mobile seed bank to facilitate the conservation and distribution of seeds during emergencies, while simultaneously building national technical capacity in seed and germplasm production and conservation.
The initiative also includes the digitisation of seed and planting material inventories across the region to improve traceability and quality assurance, as well as the establishment of reserve stocks of seeds and planting materials to support the rapid resumption of crop production following adverse weather events.
The Minister further reported that CARDI has already commenced seed production activities in Antigua and Barbuda, cultivating pumpkin and eggplant for seed multiplication and eventual distribution to farmers in the aftermath of natural disasters.
Additionally, Cabinet was informed of regional efforts to strengthen surveillance and response capacity for African Swine Fever (ASF), a highly contagious viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs.
Through IICA and its regional partners, Antigua and Barbuda is participating in initiatives aimed at enhancing disease surveillance, improving sample collection and laboratory capacity, and developing coordinated response mechanisms to safeguard the local and regional livestock industry.
Cabinet welcomed the progress being made through the partnership with IICA and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to modernising agriculture, strengthening climate resilience, and ensuring that Antigua and Barbuda is better positioned to achieve food security and sustainable agricultural development.