Alicia Clarke (left), Head of the Agricultural Division at the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic (SJPP) and SJPP’s Deputy Principal, Ian Drakes (second from left) sample some of the produce agricultural students Shakeen Drakes and Mark Forde (right) had on offer, during the Agricultural Division’s Open Day.
SJPP landscaping students, Antonio Barker and Tylo Roach proudly display the tools they use for their trade, during the Agricultural Division’s Open Day.
Polytechnic agricultural students looking forward to Hope Project
Fri, 03/25/2016 - 12:00am
Officials and students of the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic (SJPP) are looking forward to the promised establishment of the HOPE Agriculture Training Institute at Hope Plantation in St. Lucy, where students in the Polytechnic’s agricultural programme will be exposed to up to date techniques in crop production, animal husbandry and farm management.
Word of this came recently from SJPP’s Deputy Principal, Ian Drakes.
Government has approved 45 acres of land at the Hope, St. Lucy and it is expected that the Barbados Community College (BCC) and the SJPP will share the facility for their Associated Degree and Diploma and Certificate agricultural programmes respectively, to engage students in more practical agricultural training.
Drakes, whilst speaking to The Barbados Advocate at the Agricultural Division’s recently held Open Day, acknowledged that the HOPE Project is to be the new bedrock of agriculture. Noting that the BCC and SJPP will be working together to lead and manage the agricultural institution, he revealed that the facility will accommodate 24 live-in persons, including a farm manager and persons engage in livestock farming, right up to agro-processing.
He noted also that the project will be getting full backing from the Chinese government.
“They had team down here in early January for 25 days, looking at all the agricultural structures, all of the landscaping, all of what will be need for horticulture, aqua-culture, right through at that Hope Project,” he said.
“So it will be the Institution of Agriculture for Barbados and we are very excited about that,” Drakes commented, adding that the plans are already at an advanced stage. (RSM)