{"id":13801,"date":"2025-04-23T18:44:01","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T18:44:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/?p=13801"},"modified":"2025-04-23T18:44:01","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T18:44:01","slug":"new-tractor-acquisition-aims-to-drive-agricultural-productivity-by-brent-simon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/2025\/04\/23\/new-tractor-acquisition-aims-to-drive-agricultural-productivity-by-brent-simon\/","title":{"rendered":"New Tractor Acquisition Aims to Drive Agricultural Productivity by Brent Simon"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Lands and the Blue Economy has acquired a new tractor to boost its capacity to support farmers with essential land preparation services. This purchase, made through CPR Equipment Services, forms part of the Ministry\u2019s broader strategy to modernize its operations and deliver tangible results in the push toward food security.<\/p>\n

This latest addition to the Ministry\u2019s fleet increases its ability to service small-scale farmers across Antigua and Barbuda \u2013 many of whom depend on the government-assisted land preparation to get their crops in the ground on time.<\/p>\n

Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Anthony Smith Jr., made it clear that this is not business as usual. \u201cWe\u2019re not to decorate the yard with shiny equipment \u2013 we\u2019re here to work,\u201d Mr. Smith said. \u201cThis tractor is a tool, not a trophy. Every cent spent must translate to more land prepared, more crops planted, and fewer food imports. That\u2019s the mandate.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the Extension Division\u2019s perspective, the new tractor has the potential to be a game changer.<\/p>\n

Land preparation service is quintessential for successful and sustainable agricultural productivity\u2019\u201d said Ika Fergus\/ Senior Extension Officer. We will be as strategic as possible in our use of this tractor, it will help us to become more effective and reach a wider audience, promote modern and efficient farming practices, and ultimately contribute significantly to the growth and sustainability to the growth and sustainability of the agricultural sector.\u201d<\/p>\n

Currently, a formal system for service allocation has not been finalized. However, Mr. Ika Fergus noted that planning is underway. \u201cA multifaceted program will likely be implemented that would integrate logistical planning, communication strategies, and a clear set of prioritization criteria,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

The Ministry is encouraging farmers who require plowing or land development services to contact Extension Division. As the Ministry continues to invest in critical infrastructure and practical tools, the focus remains on real results \u2013 increasing production, lowering the food import bill, and putting local agriculture back on solid ground.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Lands and the Blue Economy has acquired a new tractor to boost its capacity to support farmers with essential land preparation services. This purchase, made […]<\/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-13801","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\/13801","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=13801"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13801\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13806,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13801\/revisions\/13806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}