The Antigua and Barbuda government will be keeping a close eye on developments from the United States and how these will impact both the domestic situation in the US as well as internationally.
This week’s meeting of the Cabinet discussed the President’s address to the Joint Sitting of Congress on Tuesday night, and decided to reserve any action until it is able to fully analyse the impact of Mr Trump’s announcements.
“Although no-one can predict the impact resulting from this period of chaos, the US Stock Market and other economic indicators have shown a decline in value since his first month in office. Any decline in US GDP will no doubt impact the destinations to which US tourists visit, since travel and tourism are regarded as luxury spend,” sources close to the Cabinet discussion indicated.
The Cabinet felt that it would be prudent to await the pronouncements and other actions which were announced by the US President before taking any policy decisions.
The United States remains Antigua and Barbuda’s largest source market for tourism, representing more than half of all visitors to the country. Any fall-off in tourist arrivals could negatively impact a broad swath of the local economy.
Meanwhile, with the uncertainty emanating out of the US, the Cabinet is bringing back into sharp focus the discussions about food security.
The Cabinet invited several officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and a private farmer to sit with members over lunch to discuss increasing food security by producing more poultry meats, eggs, fruits and vegetables.
“It was agreed that water storage by farmers is absolutely necessary in light of the tendency to drought in this uncertain climate. Global climate change has resulted in unusual patterns of rainfall and drought; therefore, storing rainfall and runoff would be necessary on every farm and would therefore require the building of many small and large damps. Although self-sufficient in egg production the cost of feed is likely to increase overtime; therefore, local production of poultry feed is likely to become a necessity if prices are to be held down,” the sources revealed.
They say Cabinet will continue to encourage backyard gardening and increased food production across the country. The abandon coconut plantation in Barbuda for example is to be put to productive use working with the Barbuda Council.
