RADA Extension Service In Manchester Boosted

Extension services offered by the Rural Agriculture Development Authority (RADA) office in Manchester, has been boosted with additional officers providing agricultural services in the field.
The disclosure was made by RADA representative, Winston Miller, at the Manchester 4-H Clubs Parish Achievement Day on Thursday (March 5) at the Kirkvine Sports Club in Manchester. “Currently, we have eight extension officers and before then we had only five, but with the mandate to increase the extension services we are now up to eight officers and one marketing officer in the parish, along with five field assistants,” he said. He added that RADA’s mission is to promote the development of agriculture as the main engine of economic growth in rural communities, through the provision of an efficient and modern extension service which will enhance the national economy and improve the quality of life in rural families. “As extension officers, we travel in the various farming communities and offer training to farmers’ groups and farmers”, he said.
He added that RADA also provides technical advice to schools in the development of their school gardens, and that RADA has always assisted Manchester 4-H Clubs in the training of clubbites and will continue to do so.
Currently RADA has area offices in Mile Gully, Christiana, Newport, Cross Keys and Lititz and another will soon be located in Bellefield.
RADA, an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, provides advice to the farming community, primarily in the areas of agronomy, land husbandry, livestock production, plant health, post harvest techniques, production and marketing, social services/home economics, on farm irrigation/water management, technology, training and technical information.
The day-to-day extension services are carried out by its 13 parish offices, one located in each parish, except Kingston, by a cadre of field officers attached to each office.