Farmers trained in broccoli and cauliflower production.

On Wednesday, a training workshop was held for about twenty-five local farmers to educate them on the proper techniques for broccoli and cauliflower production.

The workshop was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture’s Extension Division and took place at the PDO building on Joseph’s Road. Technicians from the Long Ping Agricultural project, currently underway in Antigua and Barbuda, conducted the training.

The main objective of the workshop was to increase the production of these crops, particularly broccoli, which is mostly imported and, therefore, expensive on the local market.

Owolabi Elabanjo, the Chief Extension Officer, expressed his belief that boosting production could reduce the cost of the item on supermarket shelves over time. The Prime Minister has also expressed his desire to see farmers shift or expand their production to include broccoli.

The Chinese company, Long Ping, has demonstrated that broccoli can be successfully grown in Antigua and Barbuda, and the workshop served as a means of transferring this knowledge and know-how to local farmers.

The workshop covered all aspects of production, management, and the selection of all varieties of the crop.

Attendees were given seedlings, and as part of the training, they were taken on a tour of the Chinese-run farm at Greencastle, where broccoli is already being produced.