Farmers in Antigua and Barbuda are being given another opportunity to work with the Chinese-based Yuan Longping High-Tech Agriculture Company (LPHT).
Four members of LPHT met with Agriculture Minister E.P Chet Greene Thursday, here on an invitation from the government to provide technical assistance to the sector.
This latest initiative is taking the form of an agricultural exchange program where farmers will be identified within five farming districts, where direct work will be conducted.
“The Chinese introduced some products the last time they were here and they’re going to be repeating those products, perfecting those produce and the idea is to have some variation or agricultural production”
“We are selecting farmers to work with the Chinese or vice versa, with a view towards technology transfer. The whole question of the production phase and even harvesting to see, compare, and where necessary, where possible, adopt some of the practices obtained in China,” Greene said
There’s also going to be an introduction of a new food tree, Greene added.
“And so, it’s not only the crop that we would have had last time. Last time we had watermelons, eggplants, peppers, broccoli, corn, and cauliflower. There are about ten products that they would have done last time and we are going to repeat those and seek to add new areas as well” he said.
He said direct work will be conducted in the area of knowledge transfer in techniques and technology, “as we try to increase our food production or food security, as we try to upskill our farmers with more modern techniques and implementation of the field of endeavor.”
“I want to thank the government of the People’s Republic of China for accepting the request again from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Government of Antigua-Barbuda to assist in the whole area of agriculture development here in our country”, Greene added.
Greene said he hopes to see greater involvement on the part of local agricultural workers and farmers.
Greene said he hopes to see greater involvement on the part of local agricultural workers and farmers.
What about crops like dragon fruit that the Chinese seem to be holding to their chest ?