The Ministry of Agriculture is scaling up efforts to improve year-round crop production through greenhouses and hydroponics, aiming to get more young people into farming and reduce reliance on imports.
Speaking at a town hall in Lookout on June 5, Minister of Agriculture John Osborne outlined plans to revitalise existing greenhouse infrastructure and introduce new systems island-wide.
“We’re recovering the two greenhouses at the secondary school and outfitting one with a hydroponic system,” Osborne said. “We believe that placing it in a school setting will help encourage young people to see farming differently, less dirty, more high-tech.”
The ministry is also expecting four additional greenhouses through a youth and women-focused regional agriculture project. Two of these may also be converted to hydroponic systems to support increased efficiency and production.
Osborne said the ministry has identified target crops where Montserrat could eventually reach 100% self-sufficiency, including lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. “We’re focused on crops where we can realistically meet all of the island’s needs if we produce year-round,” he said.
In parallel, efforts to support coconut propagation are underway to sustain the growing demand for coconut water. “We’re collecting and propagating coconuts with the long-term goal of establishing a coconut grove. The idea is to use shorter, easier-to-harvest varieties going forward.”
Osborne also noted the continuation of the water subsidy programme, which currently supports 15 farmers with quarterly payments of $550 each, and said fencing wire has been budgeted for in the current cycle.
He added that a land clearing programme is in the pipeline to assist farmers who want to begin cultivation but face challenges with overgrown plots. “We’ll release the specifics soon, but the idea is that if you have a plot you’re ready to work on, we’ll help you clear it,” he said.
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