Agriculture a critical feature of National Youth Policy

HAVING identified the area of agriculture as a critical feature in the National Youth Policy for Barbados, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth is pleased to date with the way in which the Garden Project facilitated by its Youth Division, is progressing.

Director of Youth Cleviston Hunte, noted the above, as he spoke this week at a ceremony held to launch the budding Garden Project, from primary schools into secondary schools.

“In the National Youth Policy of Barbados, we have identified agriculture as a critical feature, and there are some compelling objectives, including reducing the food import bill, saving valuable foreign exchange, lowering the cost of living by growing more food locally, securing food security in the event of a natural disaster, creating employment, not only in the agricultural sector, but in related growth industries, like tourism and the manufacture of food products and beverages, and improving the health of the nation,” Hunte remarked.

“In our Youth Policy as well, we have also identified the environment as a significant area of concern for us for our young people, and this project falls squarely within the section of the environment where we are looking for our young people to improve and green the economy,” Hunte also indicated.

He added, “This is one of the projects which the Ministry has put forward as part of its plan for the medium term development strategy for the country, and we promised the country that we wanted to see this project by the year 2017 in all the primary schools in Barbados, and in fact, I think we have done a little bit better now, because we have been able to (take the project into) secondary schools in the country.”

Also coming out of the Project, he said, are a number of public/private sector partnerships, which makes for better outcomes. (RSM)

Barbados Advocate

Mailing Address:
Advocate Publishers (2000) Inc
Fontabelle, St. Michael, Barbados

Phone: (246) 467-2000
Fax: (246) 434-2020 / (246) 434-1000