Georgetown Secondary is number-2 in CARICOM Agriculture competition

The Georgetown Secondary School (GSS), has proven that they are at the top of Agriculture Science in the region after placing in the top three of the newly launched High School Youth in Agriculture Video competition organised by the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM).

Sixteen students, under the instruction of teacher, Makeisha Bobb-Peters, copped second place in the competition behind Mill Academy of Antigua and Barbuda, and ahead of Mopan Technical High School of Belize which took third place.

Bobb-Peters told SEARCHLIGHT that the Agriculture Science programme at GSS has been ongoing for over two decades and during that time challenges forced its temporary halt.

“It is approximately 25 years since farming has been done in our school garden. However it has had its challenges and crop production was dormant for approximately three years while poultry production continued.”

Within recent years, the programme has been seeing much success.

“It was when we decided to participate in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Transformation School Garden competition our programme was revived in 2023 and has been thriving since. We currently cultivate tomatoes, chive, sorrel, black eye peas, peanuts, sweet corn and different varieties of sweet potatoes- mainly Jackson, Big red and Rasta sweet potatoes,” Bobb-Peters outlined.

The regional High School Youth in Agriculture Video Competition was one of the initiatives coming out of the 17th Caribbean Week of Agriculture hosted by St. Vincent and the Grenadines back in October, 2024- a five day workshop geared towards enhancing the region’s food security.

For the one-minute video, schools were expected to showcase a successful agricultural production programme, and also advocate for and implement sustainable practices in their communities.

Bobb-Peters described the process as “detailed and thorough” as it involved strategic planning between teachers and students, practice sessions to get students ready to deliver their lines on camera, as well as collaboration with The Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) for technical support.

“Part of the video was recorded at the CARDI Field Station, which allowed the students to gain hands-on experience in an agricultural setting, enhancing the quality of the video and showcasing the importance of partnership.”

Bobb-Peters also said she hopes the success GSS has garnered in the regional competition will encourage schools with similar programmes to leverage support from regional organizations and also form links with surrounding communities, even if they are challenged by limited resources.

The students who participated in the competition are: Jaide Andrews, Danroy Holder, Romanica Farrel, Akisha Abbey, Dilshon Edwards, Zobio Frenklyn, Rain Cain, Kevante Neptune, Jahvino Glasgow, Trace Deane, Rennisha Williams, Deanna Mc Dowald, Andrea Browne, Zeleka Davis, Devon Adams and Titron Dasouza.