New CMC Hub to Connect Local Farmers Directly with Hotels and Supermarkets

The government is establishing a new Central Marketing Corporation (CMC) facility designed to purchase produce directly from local farmers and supply it to hotels and supermarkets. According to Antigua News Room, the initiative aims to strengthen the link between agriculture and tourism while reducing the country's reliance on food imports.

Agriculture Minister Anthony Smith Jr. said the facility will be located at the former Tennis Club property in Cassada Gardens, where it will serve as a flagship hub for marketing and distribution.

"What we want to do there, we want to focus our mandate on purchasing from our local farmers," Smith said.

The minister said the project is intended to give farmers a reliable and consistent market for their produce. At the same time, it will work to supply the tourism sector with locally grown food, helping to cut back on imports.

"CMC will… be that vehicle that markets to the hotels to get our products into the hotels and into supermarkets," Smith said.

The facility will be equipped with cold storage, dry storage and agro-processing capabilities, enabling produce to be stored for longer periods and processed prior to distribution.

"We will have cold storage, we will have dry storage, and we want to be able to create that farmer's market," Smith said.

The government has already acquired the property and is now in the process of retrofitting and developing the site. No firm opening date has been announced.

"We have recently acquired the building, but we have to now build out the building," Smith said, adding that work on the facility is ongoing.

Smith described the project as a "game changer" that will ease pressure on farmers by ensuring a steady outlet for their goods.

"Once you're able to produce and we're able to find a market for you as a farmer," he said, "CMC… is going to be a huge game changer for us in agriculture."

The initiative forms part of broader government efforts to improve food security, support local farmers and more effectively integrate agriculture into Antigua and Barbuda's tourism-driven economy.