The Minister for Agriculture reported that the new Tissue Culture Laboratory in Bethesda will officially open within the coming week.

The facility will play a key role in supporting the country’s agricultural development by producing high-quality, disease-free plant materials for farmers and agricultural programmes.

Plant tissue culture technology allows scientists to grow plants from small pieces of plant tissue in sterile laboratory conditions. This modern biotechnology enables the rapid production of large numbers of healthy, genetically identical plants and helps prevent the spread of plant diseases.

The laboratory will support the propagation of crops such as bananas, pineapples, root crops, ornamentals, and other economically important plants.

On Thursday, Director of Communications in the Office of the Prime Minister Maurice Merchant says the Bethesda facility is expected to boost crop production, improve plant quality, enhance food security, and strengthen the resilience of Antigua and Barbuda’s agricultural sector.

Director General of Communications in the Prime Minister’s Office, Maurice Merchant (screenshot of state media)

Cabinet welcomed the update, noting that the laboratory represents an important step in modernizing agriculture and providing farmers with improved planting materials to increase productivity.