PM Browne Says New CMC Complex Will Cut Food Imports, Lower Prices
Prime Minister and Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party leader Gaston Browne says the government is developing a new Central Marketing Corporation (CMC) complex aimed at reducing food imports, lowering prices and strengthening the country’s food security.
Speaking on Pointe FM’s Browne and Browne Show, Browne said the initiative will expand local food production and processing while also improving the supply of affordable goods.
“We have to prepare ourselves… to make sure that we can sustain ourselves and at the same time to make sure that we can produce good quality and affordable produce and meats,” Browne said.
The project centers on transforming CMC into what he described as a comprehensive “food emporium,” where farmers, vendors and consumers are connected through a single distribution and processing hub.
The government has already acquired the former Kennedy’s Club property at Cassada Gardens for $9 million, providing 5.5 acres for the development of the main complex.
“We have already bought the facility… it’s on five and a half acres,” Browne said.
The site will include a supermarket, farmers’ market, cold and dry storage facilities, and agro-processing units designed to handle locally grown produce and meats.
“CMC will have the necessary storage facilities… agro-processing facilities, cold storage, dry storage,” Browne said, adding that the system will allow farmers to bring their goods directly to market.
A key component of the plan involves expanding meat production and processing through new chicken and pork abattoirs at Piers, where construction is already underway.
“These abattoirs will be equipped… so we can cut up the chicken into parts and sell fresh chicken parts,” Browne said, noting that small farmers will also be able to use the facilities to process their livestock.
The government is also seeking to lower production costs by establishing a feed mill, which Browne said would reduce reliance on imported feed and make locally produced meat more competitive.
“We also will be establishing a feed mill… to drive down the costs,” he said.
In the short term, Browne said CMC is working with a supplier in the United Kingdom to import more affordable food products, with shipments expected within months.
“That should start within a matter of months,” he said.
Browne argued that the combined approach—boosting domestic production while sourcing cheaper imports—would help stabilize food prices and protect consumers from global price shocks, including rising tariffs in key markets.
“Imports continue to increase… and you never can tell,” he said, warning that external price pressures could worsen without local alternatives.
He said the expanded CMC system is intended to reduce the country’s import bill, improve foreign exchange balances and ensure a more reliable supply of food.
The prime minister pointed to his own agricultural operations as an example of how local production can be scaled, saying his farm produces about 150 pigs per month under modern standards.
“This is just going to be quite a beautiful food emporium… to accommodate our farmers and to have CMC import more produce and meats at an affordable price,” Browne said.
He described the initiative as part of a broader effort to modernize agriculture, support small businesses and improve living standards across Antigua and Barbuda.
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Buildings don’t cut food price when we have a mad money maniac taxing the hell out of us for roads with license fee and all the money just going to Gaston and his family and ministers, along with someone me white people come to Barbuda and get the lands and now really rich selling them off.
Gaston you a Antigua and Barbuda stumbling block, stop flex off your conning scheme to trap us to get back in power.
https://laws.gov.ag/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/cap-81.pdf
Antigua people do not like to familiarize themselves with the laws that govern our Islands. That is why politicians would continue to do as they like, because they are not challenged. One such law is the Central Marketing Corporation Act. The Corporation is for years now not operating according to the Act which has established it. It has be come just an importer of food stuff. Produce and Meat. Oh yes their is still a branch of the corporation that is operating within the Act. They are known as the Farmers Depot. There agriculture inputs for farmers are being sold. But as I said this is a small part of the nowadays operation. The operation is in direct competition with the private sector and that on an unfair level. The corporation pays no taxes. That is until lately that were told to at least pay the RRC at the port. But Import Duties and ABST are waved. Therefore making this a very unfair action which I believe should be collectively challenged by the wholesalers and retailers. But as I understand they themselves have too much cheese in their mouth and cannot afford to make such a challenge. As the biblical saying goes “he who is without sin cast the first stone”. And you know people in glass house don’t throw stones.
It must be said that this practice was started under the UPP and therefore they cannot criticize it now either. Therefore the government can continue to do as they like, whether above the law or not. No one to challenge them.
Strange enough it was this Prime Minister that was hard on Sandals for holding on to our ABST. Many ALL Inclusive hotels were accuse of cooking the books and paying their fair share of taxes. Well well well. What has happened now is that these very same hotels are now purchasing their duty free and ABST free produce and meats from CMC. The only losers is the government. But I believe in the end the economy will be the big loser. Food is one of those commodities that you cannot use more then you need. A person can only consume so much and no more. And whether you buy from the establish wholesalers/ Retailers or from CMC it is the same. The only expansion will come from our tourists. Restaurants purchasing their meat and produce from CMC will eventually see a larger profit margin. Cause their food cost will be lower. Noting that their menu prices remain the same. What in my opinion should happen is the removal of the taxes on all these Item sold by CMC. That way you will have a LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. CMC can compete on other levels, such us smaller profit margin. because a government enterprise does not have the same business goals as that from the private sector.
In the new vision which the Prime Minister explains above I see the doubling down of the same policy making CMC even a larger importer of food products. I see however one new policy that I will lend my support to. That is the creation of the Agro Processing Unit. Antiguan farmers do not do much about agro processing. But you cannot blame them. It is already a very hard task to work the land. And you want to see the return of your crops. take for example the pepper industry. Planting the pepper is hard enough. Making pepper sauce is another trade. We have seen how Susie’s Hot Sauce had to struggle to keep it’s doors open. It would be good therefore for the government through CMC to invest in supporting Agro Processing industries by purchasing the modern equipment needed. For the like of me I cannot see why we should be importing bottled coconut water from Guyana or even Jamaica. But perhaps it is not feasible for the small entrepreneur to purchase the equipment to start bottling and labeling. Many of our local juices are poorly bottled and labeled. If one looks at the label, yes the ingredients are there, but the Nutritional facts are missing. Our young entrepreneurs are siting at the side of the road to ply their trade. Not very hygienic one can say. And when they are finish for the day they leave the area dirty and their empty coconut shells can be seen at many places dumped at the roadsides. I have been monitoring the planting chips company Crispa and see how they are struggling. They need lots more support in this space of chips manufacturing . The likes of LAY’s, Ruffles, Pringles will crush them.
Therefore I support the government going in that direction. I would like to suggest though that either the government go to parliament to amend the CMC Act. or the start an new SOE that would focus on the food processing industry. CMC cannot manage a abattoir. So these need to be brought under a different regime.
Mr. PM I know you believe in certain people who have your ear, but sit back and look at this project more objectively.
And by the way. if there is one thing I would like for you to put your foot down, is for the Cabinet to vet who would be the project manager. You cannot have a person with a case of causing death by dangerous driving over his head to be involved in such a government project. Little Smith cannot bring his old school friends to the table like that.
Bad PR.
Any measure to reduce imports sounds good. Where exactly is this location? Is it in the vicinity of or includes the current Ken’s Club?
If the UPP had anyone in their midst that could analyze and value the sale’s price of $9 Million for this property they would see that this transaction was nothing less than a friendly hand lending to a family that is going bankrupt. Just like the purchase of Food City, Delux Cinema and other buildings by both parties over the years. No private person would pay that amount of money for old buildings that would have to be demolished, and new building would have to be constructed. This property is about three acres, and this means one has paid three million dollars per acres brings you to $68.00 per sqft. I’m not a valuator but I find this amount way to high and those that have provided the government with such a valuation I think have misled and overstated the value. If I have to purchase property like that and know that the buildings are not worth anything to me, I would discount the building to 10 cents to the dollar. I do not mind negotiating future value on the lands. Anyway the UPP has no one with brains.