Alpart Lauds Work of CARDI

The work of the Caribbean Agricultural Research Development Institute (CARDI), to boost agriculture in Jamaica, has been lauded by Alumina Partners of Jamaica (ALPART).
Lands manager at Alpart, Dr. Frank Ross, speaking at an open day held recently at the CARDI Centre in Knockpatrick, Manchester, said that a partnership between the two agencies, which was forged in 1999, has worked well in developing the agricultural sector.
“The results can be measured in terms of favourable crop yield, upgraded livestock, and the effective utilisation of bi-products to facilitate cheaper production costs. Of equal importance too, has been the training and technology made available to the hundreds of farmers, students, and agricultural representatives, who have visited the (CARDI) Centre,” Dr. Ross said.
Lauding the progress made by CARDI to widen agricultural production through land restoration, Dr. Ross said: “the work that you are doing here supports our policy of restoring mined-out lands to productive use and the process of rehabilitation ensures that mined-out lands can be efficiently used for agricultural and other productive purposes.”
“Alpart welcomes the progress that has been made. We regard it as a significant step towards achieving sustainability in our land management cycle, and as a project that recommends itself to the bauxite industry,” he added.
The open day showcased new agro technology, developed by CARDI, for the agricultural sector.