Antigua and Barbuda is looking to strengthen ties with Turkiye in a bid to expand its agricultural sector, reduce reliance on imports and bolster food security, Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene said Thursday.
Greene made the appeal during a courtesy call with Turkiye’s new Ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda, Emriye Bağdagül Ormancı, describing the European nation as “one of the breadbaskets of the world.”
“If you take the area of agriculture, you are easily one of the world’s leading agricultural producing countries and so we anticipate that through this relationship that we can see further growth in our own agricultural sector as this is one of the areas that we have targeted for growth,” Greene told the ambassador.
The minister said food security and sovereignty are critical priorities for the government, pointing to rising import costs, supply chain disruptions and shrinking market access.
“For us, these are not just mere buzz words; they come with a deep and abiding meaning,” Greene said. “As we pay attention to the global realities with food chains shortening, logistics issues and the ever increasing prices for food, it is incumbent on us as a people to build capacity with the help of friendly countries such as yours.”
Greene noted that Antigua and Barbuda cannot fully replace imports due to its size, but said the country has the right conditions to expand crop production and reduce reliance on imported animal products.
Ambassador Ormancı welcomed the talks and said Turkiye, which has been widening its diplomatic presence in the Caribbean, is willing to share expertise.
“Turkiye has a well-developed agricultural sector and stands ready to assist Antigua and Barbuda achieve its stated goals in this area,” she said.
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The government’s approach of studying international models is smart. Implementing these lessons can help reduce dependency on imports and improve sustainability.
By fostering these ties, PM Browne is positioning Antigua and Barbuda strategically on the global stage. It’s encouraging to see proactive diplomacy in action.
Oh yes as black people these ALP politicians are crying out loud for white supervision, they can’t do a thing but steal.
The older people without education was able to survive in the agrarian era and feed us that we are here today, what a prime minister we have.
The Chinese seem to have been doing a great job
Im not sure if I ever read that Turkey was big on agriculture but then again maybe I am one of those persons who don’t know
Unless antigua and barbuda effectively addresses it’s water issues then agriculture cannot thrive
And most definitely….agriculture is where we are lacking in Antigua
Let’s see how that goes