Antigua and Barbuda and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have signed an agreement that paves the way for the start of the second phase of the agricultural programme through which the PRC shares farming techniques with local farmers.
The agreement was signed on Thursday by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Agriculture, E. P. Chet Greene and the PRC’s resident ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda, Zhang Yanling.
Under the programme, Chinese farmers will cultivate land in Greencastle and other areas that will produce a variety of vegetables.
In addition to staple crops, new vegetables will also be introduced to Antigua and Barbuda.
Over the life of the three-year programme, the Chinese farmers will also provide training to local farmers and technicians in the Ministry of Agriculture.
Chief Extension Officer, Owalabi Elabanjo, said during the first phase of the project, the Chinese were able to cultivate cauliflower and broccoli which were both well received by local consumers.
They also produced different varieties of watermelons.
In this new phase, mushroom production will take centre stage.
“We are hoping to have as many farmers as possible to participate in the programme over the lifespan of the project as we want to see how many farmers we can touch during that time,” Elabanjo said.
Some of the planned training sessions will be conducted via ZOOM, while in other instances, local farmers and agricultural specialists will travel to China to experience the skills and methods employed by farmers there and receive firsthand training in land use practices.
