STAMP OF APPROVAL

One member of government has given his stamp approval to what he has seen so far during this year’s staging of the agricultural exhibition, Agrofest.

The three-day event, which is themed “Full We Pocket, Eat Local”, got under way yesterday in Queen’s Park. Students from public and private nursery, primary, secondary and tertiary schools were in attendance.

Speaking to the media at this venue, Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Ryan Straughn, said he was pleased with what he viewed, especially the Black Belly sheep on show. He also spoke about the high-quality, locally-made soaps which were on display and could be purchased at different booths.

Straughn said the involvement of the youth through their attendance and participation in the annual event augurs well for the future.

“Government is intent on having a big push with respect to expanding opportunities within agriculture,” he added.

“The government is interested in making sure that we can expand as many opportunities as we could possibly do. And I think certainly, given that the children are here today, part of the next phase is to make sure that at the school level that agriculture is brought within the school curriculum, but not necessarily as a subject,
but more to demonstrate the opportunities that lie within in terms of the practical side of things.

“We are focusing on making sure that the food security side of things is also taken care of, [so that] in the event that anything happens on island, we actually do have the capacity to feed ourselves,” Straughn said.