{"id":13172,"date":"2025-03-12T14:58:59","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T14:58:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/?p=13172"},"modified":"2025-03-12T15:01:26","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T15:01:26","slug":"antigua-and-barbuda-seek-caricom-support-for-potworks-dam-streamway-expansion-project-by-brent-simon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/2025\/03\/12\/antigua-and-barbuda-seek-caricom-support-for-potworks-dam-streamway-expansion-project-by-brent-simon\/","title":{"rendered":"Antigua and Barbuda seek CARICOM Support for Potworks Dam Streamway Expansion Project &#8211; by Brent Simon"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/7660fd4f-ffef-4142-8d3b-dd3e040a8b5a.jpeg\" \/>\u00a0 <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/b8b465a5-0a3b-4603-a3c1-d68969b35069.jpeg\" width=\"309\" height=\"173\" \/>The Ministry of Agriculture, Land, Fisheries, and the Blue Economy of Antigua and Barbuda has officially proposed a $5 million agricultural water infrastructure initiative to the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF). The Potworks Dam Streamway Expansion Project aims to enhance water management, increase agricultural productivity, and improve climate resilience \u2013 with a focus on the farming communities in Little Deuers and Table Hill Gardens.<\/p>\n<p>The proposal drafted by Mr. Adriel Thibou\/Senior Forestry Officer, exemplifies the government\u2019s commitment to modernizing irrigation infrastructure and reducing the vulnerability of local farmers to inconsistent water supply. Alvin Christian, a consultant specializing in soil, water management, and heavy-duty equipment, has been instrumental in shaping the project\u2019s technical framework.<\/p>\n<p>The key objectives of the project are to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Expand the Little Deuers Reservoir to improve water storage and capacity and reduce soil erosion.<\/li>\n<li>Develop Table Hill Gardens through conservation techniques, terracing, and road rehabilitation, enhancing accessibility to farmers.<\/li>\n<li>Enhance streamways and spillways to facilitate efficient water distribution across agricultural zones.<\/li>\n<li>Empower farmers and communities by training them in sustainable management practices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The CARICOM Development Fund (CDF), represented by Mr. Christopher Mc Nair\/CDF Programs Specialist, has been engaged in discussions about the project\u2019s potential impact on the agricultural sector. Mc Nair, known for his expertise in business development across the Caribbean, emphasized the importance of sustainable investments in agriculture to foster long-term food security.<\/p>\n<p>The project is expected to support over 1,700 acres of farmland, with the goal of increasing agricultures contribution to Antigua and Barbuda\u2019s GDP from 1.5% to 5% by 2030. It also aligns with CARICOM\u2019s 25&#215;25 initiative, which seeks to reduce regional food imports by 25% by 2025, and contributes to multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including food security, clean water access, and climate resilience.<\/p>\n<p>With input from Ika Fergus\/Senior Extension Officer and Mr. Joel Matthew\/Extension Officer, the initiative also prioritizes farmer engagement and knowledge sharing, ensuring that local communities play an active role in the transformation of this sector.\u00a0 While Mr. Gregory Bailey\/Director of Agriculture, expressed confidence in the proposal emphasizing that strategic investments in water infrastructure will be key to unlocking Antigua and Barbuda\u2019s full agricultural potential.<\/p>\n<p>The Potworks Dam Streamway Expansion Project represents more than just an infrastructure upgrade \u2013 it is a blueprint for agricultural resilience, economic growth, and environmental Conservation\/sustainability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0 The Ministry of Agriculture, Land, Fisheries, and the Blue Economy of Antigua and Barbuda has officially proposed a $5 million agricultural water infrastructure initiative to the CARICOM Development Fund [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-notices"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13172","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13172"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13172\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13176,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13172\/revisions\/13176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}