In a scathing parliamentary address during the Budget Debate, Opposition Parliamentarian Algernon “Serpent” Watts launched a vehement critique against the 2026 financial allocation for the Ministry of Agriculture. The MP asserted that the approved budgetary provisions fundamentally fail to deliver meaningful support for the nation’s agricultural development initiatives.
Watts acknowledged the ministry’s $8 million nominal increase compared to previous fiscal year allocations but emphasized that this superficial boost translates to negligible operational funding. Detailed analysis of the Estimates revealed that approximately 90% of the total allocation is designated for personnel-related expenditures—specifically salaries, wages, and allowances—leaving severely limited resources for implementing substantive programs.
The parliamentarian challenged the government’s narrative positioning agriculture as a cornerstone for reducing national import expenditures, declaring such promises completely unsupported by the financial documentation. “That is just talk,” Watts stated emphatically. “You have shown us nothing… absolutely nothing to demonstrate concrete progress toward these stated objectives.”
Watts further characterized the allocation pattern as continuing agriculture’s status as one of the most underfunded major ministries, describing the current budget as “simply a payroll budget, not a food security budget.” He questioned the operational capacity to execute announced initiatives given the minimal discretionary spending available, highlighting the contradiction between ambitious policy announcements and inadequate financial backing.
The opposition legislator concluded that substantial, targeted investment remains imperative if Antigua and Barbuda genuinely intends to achieve measurable advancements in domestic food production and security.