Agriculture Minister Anthony Smith says the government’s $15 million redevelopment of the Central Marketing Corporation (CMC) will create hundreds of jobs and transform Antigua and Barbuda’s agro-industrial sector. Speaking during the Budget Debate, Smith described the project as a “game changer” that will reposition CMC as a core pillar of national food security and economic development.
Smith said the investment centres on the recently acquired former Kent’s Club property, a five-acre site that will become the new headquarters for CMC.
He told Parliament the government has already invested more than $9 million to secure the property, which will be built out into a major agricultural hub supporting farmers, agro-processors and consumers across the country.
As part of the redevelopment, Smith said the government will construct cold-storage and dry-storage facilities at the site, allowing CMC to purchase produce in bulk from local farmers and sell directly to the public from the new location. Several buildings already on the compound will be upgraded, and additional structures will be added to support the expanded operations.
A key component of the new complex will be a purpose-built agro-processing facility, which Smith said will provide space for local producers to develop and market value-added goods. He listed wines, jams, specialty breads and other processed foods commonly made by small businesses as products that will benefit from the new facility. He added that the wider agro-industrial support centre will be located in Kasada Gardens.
Smith emphasised that the upgraded CMC is intended to strengthen the local food system, not compete with supermarkets. He said criticism from the opposition that CMC undermines private retailers is unfounded, noting that a Cabinet-requested customs study showed CMC’s import volumes are “minuscule” compared to large supermarkets and represent only “a drop in the bucket.”
He said CMC’s mandate is twofold: to support local farmers by purchasing their produce and to help lower the cost of living, especially for vulnerable households.
Smith told Parliament that the corporation plays a critical role in ensuring that “poor people” are able to access quality meats, fish and fresh fruits, adding that CMC has become an important social tool in improving nutrition and affordability.
Smith also noted that CMC’s financial turnaround has made the redevelopment possible. When the government took office in 2014, he said CMC had no funds, owed creditors and struggled to pay staff.
Today, he said, the corporation “has millions of dollars in the bank,” crediting the turnaround to Cabinet decisions and the leadership of the general manager and board.
Smith said the new CMC will anchor a broader agro-industrial ecosystem the government is building, linking storage, processing, marketing and primary production. He said the project will create significant employment while giving farmers and agro-processors greater opportunities to scale their businesses.
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