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The Antigua and Barbuda economy
is dominated by the service sector, led by tourism,
and a relatively small agriculture sector,
comprising less than 4% of Gross Domestic Product
(GDP). The value of such contributions average EC$45
million over the 2001-1004 period, led by fisheries,
which contributes 50% of the total. Crop production,
mainly vegetables, root crops, hot pepper and
limited production in a range of fruit crops mango,
melon, cantaloupe, citrus, soursop and guava)
contributes about 30% to agriculture value-added.
The livestock include Cattle, poultry and small
ruminant production (especially goats), provide
important contributions to the total agricultural
contributions (19%).
| In spite of
these economic indicators, the weight of the
contribution of agricultural activity must
be measured in its significant contribution
to employment of approximately 5,000
persons, including female producers, food
security and social welfare, that supports
the current Human Development Index (HDI)
rank of 55. The continued development of the
food, agriculture and natural resources
sector is critical to maintain and improve
the HDI, as well as contribute to economic
growth. |
|
GDP By Industry at Factor Cost in
Constant 1990 Prices $EC Mn |
|
|
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
|
Agriculture ($EC Mn) |
43.3 |
43.7 |
44.8 |
46.0 |
|
%
Share |
3.4 |
3.4 |
3.3 |
3.2 |
|
#
Employed (estimated) |
5,000 |
|
Such development will be guided by a renewed
Vision that promotes agriculture as ‘‘a vibrant
and dynamic sector, driven by small and
medium-scaled commercially oriented competitive
agro-business enterprises, guaranteeing food
security nationally, while capitalizing on niche
markets externally, with high quality products,
produced by environmentally conscious farmers and
agro-processors’’.
Explicit in this renewed Vision of agriculture is
the need to ensure increased food security;
diversified agriculture markets; enhanced producer
competitiveness; increased purchase and consumption
of locally produce and products; sustainable natural
resource utilization, environmentally sound
production practices; the multi-sectoral integration
of agriculture policy; increased rural economic
growth and development; increased value added
produce transformation and increased contribution by
the agriculture sector to foreign exchange earnings.
The need to strengthen agriculture and tourism
sector linkages, through, inter alia, incentives for
hotels in purchasing relationships with local
producers, a cruise tourism policy to include
locally produce commodity and product purveying and
an eco-tourism strategy, is being considered for
high priority.
The development challenges to the food,
agriculture and natural resources system in Antigua
and Barbuda can be categorized as macro-economics,
natural resources and the environment, commodity
production and marketing, agro-industry and
institutional issues. These are no different from
other CARICOM states and coincidence of the Antigua
and Barbuda policy goals with regional and
hemispheric initiatives provides some a guarantee of
support on the regional and hemispheric front.
Indeed, opportunities exist within same five areas,
for Antigua and Barbuda to benefit from the
regional, hemispheric and international and
partnerships with the OECS, through its Agriculture
Plan, the CARICOM led Jagdeo Initiative, the
Caribbean Fisheries Regional Mechanism (CRFM), the
UN FAO-led National Medium Term Investment Profiles
(NMTIP), the Summit of the Americas Agriculture
Agenda 2015 and the UN Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs), especially Goals 1, 3, 7 and Goals 8.
__________________________________________
1 Extracted from the National Medium
Term Priority Framework for FAO Assistance – Antigua
and Barbuda Draft document, 2006.
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