#KINGSTON, Feb. 6 (JIS): Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, has disclosed that a group headed by business mogul, Michael Lee-Chin, is investing in a major agricultural project in St. Catherine.
According to Minister Shaw, the mega
farm, to be established on lands formerly occupied by Innswood Sugar Estates,
will have mango and soursop orchards, cantaloupes, melons, and short- and long-term
crops.
Delivering the keynote address at
the Jamaica 4-H Clubs National Youth in Agriculture Symposium held on February 5
at the Northern Caribbean University (NCU) in Mandeville, Manchester, and Mr.
Shaw said Mr. Lee-Chin has taken over about 3,000 acres of land, and that
Israeli technology would be utilised on the farm.
He called on persons at the function,
particularly students, to choose agriculture as a career.
The Minister said some 10,527 young
persons are in farming, representing five per cent of registered farmers, and
while it is a “welcome improvement”, the Ministry’s goal is to see more youth “choosing
agriculture as a career”.
Mr. Shaw pointed out that the
soon-to-be-completed National Youth in Agriculture Policy and Implementation
Plan will seek to build a platform to address issues facing youth in agriculture.
“We will also develop the right mix
of policies and strategies that meet their needs and aspirations, while
simultaneously increasing their effective participation in the sector,” the
Minister said.
Held under the theme ‘I am
Agri-Smart’, the symposium was geared at creating more awareness of
opportunities in agriculture, agriculture education, entrepreneurship, and
sensitising persons on the impact of Climate Change. It targeted secondary and
tertiary students, and youth farmers.