Nine shade houses have been erected on land off Coronation Avenue as part of a government bid to support local farming and boost food security.
The Canopy Shade House Village is designed to increase crop production through the use of cutting-edge technology and high-yield seed varieties.
Farmers who have signed up will benefit from water-efficient drip irrigation, a longer growing season, and a controlled environment, a government Facebook post said on 30 September.
This will allow them to grow tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and leafy greens for local consumption.
Quincia Gumbs-Marie, Minister of Sustainability, Innovation and the Environment, said the shade houses will help to extend the growable days in Anguilla from 140 to 220.
Speaking on Radio Anguilla on 2 October she said she hopes the project will contribute to Anguilla’s efforts to meet Caricom’s goal of reducing food imports in the region by 25%.
“That’s a little bit ambitious for us, because we haven’t had a lot of work in agriculture in the past like other countries have,” she said.
“So we’re trying to be more realistic with our benchmarks, but we are excited about where we are and we’ll see the difference.”
A new poultry hatchery and abattoir are also on track to be operational in Anguilla by the end of October.
