Agriculture Ministry to Establish Six School Gardens in Eastern St. Thomas

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries will be setting up school gardens at six institutions in eastern St. Thomas.

Minister without portfolio, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson, says that produce from the gardens will go towards breakfast programmes at the schools.

The gardens, he said, will be overseen by a broad-based committee comprising the Jamaica 4-H Clubs, past student associations, the Social Development Commission (SDC), parent-teacher associations (PTAs), and Members of Parliament.

The Minister, who was addressing an agricultural forum at the Duckenfield Primary School on Thursday (April 21), after a tour of farms in St. Thomas, said 4-H officers at the schools will be tasked with the sustainability of the gardens.

He noted that the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) will provide technical support.

Minister Hutchinson said that in addition to educating students about agriculture, the gardens could serve as demonstration plots for farmers to learn techniques in order to boost productivity.

Meanwhile, he invited persons interested in acquiring lands for agricultural purposes to contact the Ministry.

He noted that a lot of agricultural lands are idle, while in many cases, farmers need lands for production and “they don’t have it.”

He said his mission is to ensure that farmers have access to lands “and as they identify them we will get the machinery rolling.”