Gov’t must invest more in agriculture — Dawson

Junior Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Dr Karl Dawson is urging the government to prioritise investments in agriculture and fisheries to boost food security in the Virgin Islands.

During a recent government programme, Dr Dawson outlined a plan to make the territory more self-sufficient by increasing food production. “The key piece, I believe, for us is to produce more food,” Dr Dawson stated. “If you’re gonna produce more food, then there are certain principles, I believe, that must be there. Government itself must continue to invest more in the agriculture and fisheries sector.”

Increased production of crops and livestock

He emphasised the importance of food security and food sovereignty, explaining that this would require increased production across crops and livestock. Dr Dawson highlighted plans to make more land available for farming in Anegada and Virgin Gorda. “A survey team was completing work on Anegada to delineate various plots… for the increased production of crops, as well as livestock,” he shared. The junior minister added that the territory aims to expand into poultry and pork production, with aquaculture also under consideration.