The government is moving to reduce its multimillion-dollar meat import bill by expanding local processing capacity through the construction of two new abattoirs, Agriculture Minister Anthony Smith Jr. announced.
According to Antigua News Room, the twin facilities — one dedicated to poultry and another for pork and small ruminants — are designed to boost domestic production and reduce the country's heavy reliance on imported meat.
"We import just about 175 million in livestock yearly," Smith said, identifying chicken and pork as the largest drivers of that expenditure.
The minister acknowledged that while Antigua already has an established foundation in livestock production, the sector is constrained by a lack of large-scale processing capacity. "One of our issues is that we don't have the capacity to process the pork at a very large scale," he said.
Work on the project is already underway. Land preparation has begun at a site in the Betty's Hope area, where approximately 12 acres have been cleared. "We have completed clearing down the 12-acre site where we will put the two abattoirs," Smith confirmed.
Once operational, the facilities are expected to significantly expand the country's ability to process locally produced meat and open new opportunities for farmers looking to scale up. "When we have those abattoirs again, we'll be able to scale up… and we would now have the capacity to process our meats much, much more on a large scale," the minister said.
Some equipment has already been purchased and is currently being shipped to Antigua. However, Smith cautioned that the project remains months from completion, with foundation work still to be done. "I still think we're several months away from opening these new abattoirs," he said.
The investment is part of a broader government strategy to strengthen food security, reduce import dependence, and create new economic opportunities within the agriculture sector.
