Dunbars facilities to be relocated to Bethesda and Christian Valley

The government made the decision early this year to repurpose the lands at Dunbar’s for a small commercial and housing development, which, according to officials, is now oversubscribed.

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By Aabigayle McIntosh

The experimental Agriculture Facilities that were once located at the Dunbars Agriculture Station will be placed in Bethesda and the Christian Valley area.

Agriculture Minister EP Chet Greene said his department is currently working out the logistics.

“Dunbars is now being repurposed, we have two properties up in Bethesda and let me thank the Chinese government for working with us in terms of a tissue culture lab in Bethesda. We have gone there and we have identified the lands and work has begun. Another facility will be established at Christian Valley,” the minister disclosed.

The government made the decision early this year to repurpose the lands at Dunbar’s for a small commercial and housing development, which, according to officials, is now oversubscribed.

This is much to the annoyance of many who believe that prime agricultural lands are being destroyed to make way for housing.

Meanwhile, some upgrades are in the works for the Cades Bay pineapple farm in Old Road. The Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda has approved finances to fence the area.

“My technicians are adamant that they would want to fence the area before they cultivate it. We will be fencing shortly; the first cultivation may not be pineapple because we have to get the pineapple seedlings and so on. We are working with a tissue culture lad in St Vincent to make sure we get adequate planting materials,” the Minister said.