The Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening national food security by moving ahead with the redistribution of hundreds of acres of government-controlled agricultural land that officials say has remained idle for years.

Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant, speaking during Thursday’s post-Cabinet media briefing, said Cabinet received an update from Agriculture Minister Anthony Smith on the government’s agricultural land redistribution programme, an initiative first announced several months ago to reclaim unproductive farmland allocated for agricultural use.

Merchant said the minister reported that the government has now recovered approximately 682 acres of abandoned or underutilized agricultural land that has remained unproductive for more than four years.

He said the acreage was identified through a comprehensive assessment carried out by the Agricultural Extension Division and includes lands under the Extension Division, the Agricultural Development Corporation, livestock holdings and parcels with unresolved ownership issues.

Merchant said the reclaimed lands have now been earmarked for redistribution to qualified farmers who have demonstrated a commitment to agricultural production.

Under the first phase of the programme, 50 vetted farmers will receive either new land allocations or additional acreage to expand their operations, increase domestic food production and strengthen national food security.

According to Merchant, applicants have already been vetted by the Agricultural Extension Division, with allocations to be made in the order applications were received.

To ensure the land is used productively, Merchant said Cabinet approved a six-month probationary period for all initial allocations.

During that period, the Ministry of Agriculture will closely monitor cultivation, productivity and compliance with agreed development plans.

Farmers who demonstrate active and sustained agricultural production during the probationary period will be granted long-term occupancy of the land, Merchant said.

The initiative forms part of the government’s broader strategy to return idle agricultural lands to production while increasing local food output and reducing reliance on imported food.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Antigua and Barbuda government reclaims 682 acres for redistribution to farmers.