15 farmers and over 20 government officials and private sector stakeholders comprised the initial group who participated in the week-long mission and workshop
January 19, 2025 – St. John’s, Antigua - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and the Blue Economy in Antigua and Barbuda recently completed a week-long mission aimed at transforming local protected agriculture farms into bankable investment opportunities. The mission brought together an initial group of 15 farmers and over 20 government officials and private sector stakeholders. With the goal of transforming the island's agricultural sector into a prosperous, investment-ready opportunity starting with these farms; the mission comprised a focused agribusiness training session, farm surveys, and field interviews.
Led by FAO Agribusiness Finance Specialist Dr. Omardath Maharaj, the mission focused on strengthening the financial viability of greenhouse, hydroponic, and shade house farming systems, while supporting national efforts to scale up climate-smart and digital agricultural technologies. This intervention is built on earlier initiatives that laid the groundwork for water security and nature-based solutions on model farms, as well as the Water–Energy–Food Nexus sub-project under the Mexico–CARICOM–FAO Initiative, “Cooperation for Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience in the Caribbean” two years ago.
The mission sought to bolster current investments in water management, digital tools, and protected crop production by utilizing FAO's continuing efforts in climate-resilient agriculture in Antigua and Barbuda. It accomplished this by gathering operational and financial data at the farm level and confirming market demand. This laid the groundwork for investment-ready business cases that may raise capital and develop sustainable agricultural innovations.
One of the mission's primary deliverables was the workshop, "From Data to Dollars: Building a Profitable & Resilient Farm Business," which was held on December 1, 2025, at the Agricultural Extension Division in St. John's. An estimated 19 participants, including extension officers, agri-entrepreneurs, and protected agriculture farmers, were trained on topics such as how to connect farm records and cost-of-production data to business models that are ready for investment.
Local farmer, Ms Kathleen Forde of Seasonz Hydroponics Farm who attended the training, conveyed her appreciation for the session and its content. She expressed hope that the analysis will enhance farm operations and the country's agricultural output and called the training and field tour "timely and informative."
Mr Ika Fergus, Acting Chief Extension Officer and FAO National Correspondent stated, “The mission’s outcomes directly align with the strategic goals of the Ministry. The developed business models will provide farmers with clear financial justifications and planning tools to advance commercialization and attract investment, particularly in protected agriculture systems critical for climate resilience”.
Dr Maharaj emphasized that meetings with major buyers, including supermarkets and hotels, revealed significant import demand for high-value crops such as tomatoes, lettuces, and bell peppers. He noted that the follow-up farm surveys and stakeholder consultations with the Antigua and Barbuda Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) and Epicurean Fine Foods & Pharmacy helped validate market demand and operational realities. Dr Maharaj further highlighted that, “Farmers are ready to adopt new technologies, but they need viable business plans to secure financing. This mission helped bridge that gap”.
The next step in the project will focus on analysing the collected data to produce five tailored business cases by February 2026. These will support farmers seeking financing and assist the Ministry in attracting investment into a more sustainable, resilient, and profitable agricultural sector, strengthening import substitution and improved livelihoods
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