The Chinese ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda, Zhang Yanling, recently expressed her satisfaction with the ongoing progress of the agricultural project being carried out by the Long Ping Agricultural group.

During a meeting with Agriculture Minister E.P Chet Greene and other senior officials and technicians from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ambassador Zhang and a team from Long Ping discussed the achievements so far under the project.

One of the highlights of the meeting was the success of the broccoli program, with the farmers involved in planting the crop reporting significant increases in income from the sale of the crop.

It was also noted that the program had gained immense popularity, with more and more farmers expressing their willingness to participate.

According to Extension Officer Owalabi Elabanjo, there are currently around fifty farmers involved in the program, with plans to expand the acreage of broccoli production at the beginning of the next planting season in October.

With proper planning, the goal is to reduce the importation of broccoli by up to sixty percent, as part of the Prime Minister’s vision to reduce food imports.

It is worth noting that broccoli is a seasonal crop, with the highest demand occurring during the winter tourist season.

Depending on the time of planting, farmers can expect to reap broccoli from January or February of the following year, which coincides with the peak tourist season.

In addition to broccoli, the project also includes the production of other crops such as sweet peppers, cauliflower, sweet corn, and tomatoes.

The meeting on Thursday was aimed at exploring ways to improve the project, including better data collection and communication between project officers, farmers, and the Extension Division.

Overall, the project is progressing very well, and the stakeholders involved are optimistic about the future.

The success of the broccoli program is just one example of how this project is helping local farmers achieve financial stability while reducing the nation’s dependence on food imports.