Kingstown St. Vincent May 13, 2026-A newly commissioned climate-controlled greenhouse has been handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Transformation under the Volcanic Eruption Emergency Project (VEEP), in what officials describe as another step in strengthening agricultural resilience in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
The facility, located at the Agricultural Biotechnology Centre in Orange Hill, is expected to improve crop production and introduce more advanced agricultural technology to the sector.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, VEEP Project Coordinator Roxanne John said the project financed the procurement and installation of the greenhouse infrastructure, while companies NGS Greenhouses and Isratech were contracted to execute the initiative.
Greenhouse technician Haim Karavani (Jaakov), who supervised the system setup, said the facility operates using a rainwater harvesting system that supplies irrigation for the greenhouse.
Officials say the climate-controlled system is designed to support more stable and efficient crop production by regulating environmental conditions and reducing reliance on unpredictable weather patterns.
The greenhouse forms part of wider recovery and resilience-building efforts being undertaken through the Volcanic Eruption Emergency Project, which was launched following the April 2021 eruption of La Soufrière volcano.
The VEEP programme, financed through US$40 million from the World Bank and an additional US$2 million grant from the European Union, was established to help St Vincent and the Grenadines restore critical services, support livelihoods and strengthen the country’s ability to respond to future emergencies.
According to project documents, the initiative also focuses on rebuilding infrastructure, improving disaster preparedness and supporting sectors heavily affected by the eruptions, including agriculture and fisheries.
The 2021 eruptions displaced thousands of residents, damaged farms and infrastructure, and caused widespread ashfall across the island, significantly affecting agricultural production and rural livelihoods.