Premier promises release of long-awaited agriculture plan soon

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has assured that the long-promised national agriculture plan will soon be released, following repeated delays since the government first announced it earlier this year.

During a recent press conference, Dr Wheatley was pressed on the status of the plan by a reporter, who pointed out that residents were promised its release in April following a major exhibition.

“The planning is ongoing,” Premier Wheatley stated. “Persons will see a plan soon,” he added, when asked directly what happened to the long-awaited document.

When pressed further for a specific date, the Premier replied, “I don’t want to put a date on it, but I can get back to you on that.”

The agriculture plan has been in the works for several years and was most recently promised in 2021 and 2023 as part of the government’s efforts to strengthen food security and reduce reliance on imports. According to previous statements from the Ministry of Agriculture, the plan aims to modernise local farming, expand agro-processing, and boost access to markets for local farmers.

Dr Wheatley noted that the agriculture plan is part of a broader push to strengthen government planning across key sectors. “We started with a National Sustainable Development Plan,” he explained earlier in the conference. “We are aligning those ministerial priorities with our budgeting process… and in various areas of our development, we will produce corresponding plans. Strategies will assist us to meet those objectives,” he stated.

The Premier also mentioned that other sectoral plans are being developed, including an economic plan to be guided by a newly appointed Economic Advisory Council. “We’re going to have plans in agriculture and other areas,” he said, adding that the government is “doing the appropriate planning on the appropriate levels.”

Residents and industry stakeholders have repeatedly called for a comprehensive agriculture policy to guide investment and development in the sector. The absence of such a framework has long been cited as a barrier to progress, particularly after hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 destroyed farms and livestock facilities across the territory.

In April 2025, the government hosted an agriculture exhibition at Paraquita Bay, where Dr Wheatley promised that the plan would be finalised within weeks. That timeline has since passed, prompting growing frustration from farmers and opposition members.