CED hosts Summer Programme

In an effort to awaken in young minds interest in the field of agriculture and agro-business, the Centre for Enterprise Development (CED) is hosting a two-week Agri-Business Summer programme for 30 students under the theme “ Sustainable Agriculture – Youth the Success Factor”.{{more}}

While speaking at the opening ceremony, held at the Knowledge Institute, last Monday, August 11, Minister of Telecommunications Dr Jerrol Thompson, said that he believes that agriculture is a growth sector that has a great future. He expressed that there is a need to stimulate new interest in agro- business and agriculture.

According to Thompson, there is no sector today that has greater importance than that of agriculture. “The concept of farming is a highly technical but exciting and lucrative business,” he said. Thompson noted that the contribution agriculture makes to the development of the economy, is often under estimated. The Minister claims that the government is convinced that investing in agro-systems is “sound and good business”. He said that agriculture is tied to improved natural resources and the concept of reducing poverty and inequality. Thompson hopes that when the agricultural institute is set up, it will be able to train persons who are interested in the field of agriculture.

Simone Murray, Manager of the Business Gateway Project stated that their goal for the summer program is to bring together the business sector along side the agricultural sector. The workshop will therefore be showing participants how they can have a “successful agro- business to make a living for themselves and families”.

For the next two weeks, the participants will cover areas such as Identifying opportunities in agro-business, team building and managing your agro-business successfully through proper financial management and marketing. Murray noted that the participants will also be taken on field trips to a poultry farm, an apiary (bee keeping farm), a turtle sanctuary and a vacuum packaging plant. The visit to the vacuum packaging plant she finds important, because in her opinion, there is a need to go into that sector in this country. “We export raw materials to other countries and it comes back to us well packaged and we buy it.” Murray said.

Meanwhile, Winston George, who represented the Ministry of Agriculture said we here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines must change our mindset towards agriculture. George said he finds the exposure and participation of our youths is a vital aspect of agro-business and a step in the right direction. He said the summer programme has come at a time when the challenge of food security has “come front and centre giving the rise in food prizes globally”. (VM)