Regional food hub to break ground in Barbados this year

Construction of a long-planned regional food terminal in Barbados that will serve as a major transshipment and processing hub for local and regional produce is set to begin later this year.

The project, expected to take at least eight months to complete, will function as a centre for storing, preserving, and distributing agriculture-based products from across the region.

The terminal is a joint initiative with the Government of Guyana, with Barbados’ Ministry of Agriculture positioning it as a key pillar in efforts to boost regional trade, reduce food imports, and make local agriculture more modern and technology-driven.

“[It] is expected to enhance the economic development of both Guyana and Barbados while supporting the wider regional food security agenda,” said Acting Chief Agricultural Officer Michael James, who was delivering opening remarks on behalf of Minister of Agriculture Indar Weir at the Barbados Manufacturers’ Association’s (BMA) International Business Conference.

“It will help ensure a more reliable, sustainable food supply as surplus production increases.”

He noted that the ministry is seeking additional financial and technical partnerships from the private sector to support the terminal’s success.

It forms part of efforts to meet the CARICOM “25 by 2025” target—now extended to 2030 as “25×25+5”—aimed at reducing the region’s food import bill by 25 per cent.

James also outlined a broader vision to modernise Barbados’ agriculture sector through innovation, youth engagement, and stronger integration with manufacturing, in an effort to promote farming among young people.

He acknowledged the long-standing stigma associated with farming as a career and said the government is working to change that perception by promoting agriculture as an innovative and technology-driven field.

“For decades, agriculture has been seen as the domain of the underachiever. That stigma has discouraged many young people from entering the field,” he said.

Among the key initiatives highlighted was the construction of the Barbados Institute of Food and Agriculture (BIFA) at Hope Plantation in St Lucy, which is scheduled for completion next year.

Spread across 45 acres, the new facility will work in tandem with institutions like the Barbados Community College, Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology, and the Vocational Training Board to train a new generation of agro-entrepreneurs.

Also in the pipeline is the Centre for Food Security and Entrepreneurship at Dukes, St Thomas, which is set to house a state-of-the-art innovation hub and applied research lab on 28 acres of land.

“This is not just about growing food. It’s about creating value-added products, new career paths, and a complete rethink of how agriculture fits into our economy,” James said.

He also revealed that vertical farming and freight farming technologies are being introduced, with the first project set to launch between August and September and that the tissue culture facility now under construction at the Home Agricultural Station in St Philip will provide clean planting material to farmers, supported by newly trained young technicians.

The ministry is also exploring new agro-processing opportunities, including the conversion of cassava, sweet potato, and squash into flour, with squash flour specifically targeted for use in pizza production.

“We cannot easily change mindsets, but we can revolutionise the systems available to farmers,” James said.

The ministry is collaborating with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health to align food production with national health and nutrition goals, including a focus on healthy eating in schools.

James said the ministry will continue working closely with the BMA to support local production, develop food security policies, and improve regional trade flows.

“We cannot truly become food secure unless we seek to establish food sovereignty. This means prioritising local production for local consumption, empowering farmers and communities, and

protecting our food culture,” he said, adding the familiar call to “Grow what we eat, and eat what we grow.”

shannamoore@barbadostoday.bb