Government Plans New Abattoirs and Major Upgrade to Existing Facility, Smith Says
Agriculture Minister and All Saints West MP Anthony Smith outlined a multi-million-dollar expansion of the country’s livestock-processing capacity during his 2026 Budget Debate presentation, announcing plans for two new abattoirs and renovations to the existing facility.
Smith said Antigua and Barbuda spends “an average of seventy-five million dollars” each year importing meat, with poultry representing the largest share. He told Parliament the government has “allocated and started spending four million dollars… to invest in two brand new abattoirs” as part of a push to strengthen the livestock industry.
“One of these abattoirs would be dedicated to poultry… The second abattoir will be dedicated to pork and to small ruminants,” Smith said. He added that between “20 to 25 million” dollars of the country’s import bill goes toward pork alone, noting that local farmers already have the capacity to scale up production.
The minister also confirmed plans for a major overhaul of the current abattoir. “We’re going to renovate it. We’re going to repair it. And we will have this abattoir now focus on solely beef production,” he said.
Smith framed the projects as part of broader agricultural infrastructure development meant to attract private investment. “This represents again the infrastructure build-out… so we can have the sector rise to our next level,” he told the House.
He further announced nationwide support programmes for farmers and fisherfolk, including mass distribution of solar lights “to help farmers with security”, seed distribution and fencing materials for farms, and wire for fish-pot construction.
Smith said he has been minister for “just a little over a year,” and argued that food security must include affordability and sustainability alongside production. “Under my stewardship… we have been able to have tangible results while revolutionizing the Ministry of Agriculture,” he said.
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