By Kisean Joseph
During a recent interview on Observer AM, shadow minister of Agriculture Algernon Watts and Chief Extension Officer Owolabi Elabanjo shared insights from their recent three-week agricultural study tour to China.
The expedition, organised by Yuan Longping High-Tech Agriculture Company and facilitated by the Chinese government, focused on advanced hybrid corn and pepper production techniques.
“China and Antigua and Barbuda, the People’s Republic of China, you know, they are both too friendly countries for the past 41 years,” Elabanjo said.
He added that the opportunities this relationship has provided for training and education in various sectors, including agriculture.
MP Watts, who was on his first trip to China, said he was surprised at the country’s technological advancements and beauty.
“When I landed in China, I was shocked and amazed at the beauty of the country,” he said. “You understand the technology, the way the people operated. Look, I was really amazed, really, really, really amazed,” he said.
The study tour was part of a broader initiative to reduce Antigua and Barbuda’s food import bill. “Caricom has already assigned that member states should be able to cut back at least 25 percent of their import and look at the niche area that we can do that,” Elabanjo said.
He identified corn, sweet pepper, and poultry as key areas where the country could increase local production.
Watts described seeing farms where “a 10-acre, 20-acre farm, can be a one-man operation” due to advanced machinery and automation. He encouraged local farmers to participate in upcoming training sessions, saying, “I think it’s very, very important that we make ourselves available for this training session.”
Meanwhile, Elabanjo emphasised that modern agriculture is a business that requires constant reinvestment and technological upgrades. “Agriculture today is a business,” he said, “and if we are not improving on the business, like any other business that we know of in Antigua or anywhere we have worked, your business will close down.”
While Elabanjo highlighted existing concessions for farmers, such as low-cost land leases, MP Watts called for more protection of local produce markets. “We are planting, planting, we have food here on island, but we can’t get them sold,” he explained, citing competition from imported goods.
Both Elabanjo and Watts expressed optimism about the potential for agricultural growth however, Watts pointed out the need for infrastructure improvements, particularly farm roads. “All our farming roads are impassable,” he stated, emphasizing that road maintenance should be the government’s responsibility.
With upcoming training sessions focused on pepper production and plans for future corn cultivation workshops, the country seems poised to take significant steps toward agricultural self-sufficiency and modernization.