St. Catherine High Receives Greenhouse Under IRL Project

St. Catherine High School has received a state-of-the-art greenhouse that can hold more than 1,000 plants on a hydroponic system as part of the Improving Rural Livelihoods Through Resilient Agri-Food Systems (IRL) Project.

The infrastructure was handed over on Wednesday (March 25), during the project’s closing ceremony held at the institution.

As the final milestone of the initiative, this installation completes a broader distribution that included 14 greenhouses, 7.5 tons of fertiliser and essential farming kits featuring seedling trays, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and various tools.

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, while delivering the event’s keynote address, also committed to donating two hydroponic towers to the school through the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), to enhance their knowledge of modern agriculture technology.

This forms part of a project by the Agriculture Ministry to distribute vertical farms to high schools across the island.

“We want… to introduce them (young people) to the modern technology. They are going to come out and be the future of agriculture. We want to ensure that when your students leave, they are top of the line in relation to agriculture,” Minister Green said.

He announced the launch of a new scholarship programme this year, which will provide full funding for the top-performing male and female agricultural science secondary students from every parish to pursue tertiary studies in the field.

“Youth are a big part of our resilience mechanism for the future of agriculture [and]… one of the things that we have recognised is that the top students in high school in agriculture normally find themselves in other professions. We want them to stay in agriculture,” the Minister said.

“So, the Government is embarking on a new programme, where the top boy and top girl in every parish in agriculture will get a full scholarship to pursue tertiary agricultural studies,” he added.

Meanwhile, Principal of St. Catherine High School, Marlon Campbell, expressed gratitude to the Government of India for the greenhouse, noting that it will provide an enriching educational experience for the students.

“The greenhouse represents a tangible investment in our future, offering our students unparallel opportunities to engage with the natural world, learn about sustainable practices, and cultivate a deeper understanding of environmental stewardship,” Mr. Campbell said.

In a message to the students who will utilise the greenhouse, Mr. Campbell encouraged them to view the greenhouse as a “living laboratory” where scientific experiments can be conducted, and the wonders of Botany can be explored.

“It is a space where you can learn about the importance of biodiversity, the challenges of climate change, and innovative solutions that can help us create a more sustainable future. We encourage you to embrace this opportunity with enthusiasm and curiosity and to use this resource to its fullest potential,” he urged.

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative for Jamaica, Dr. Ana Touza, noted that through the IRL Project, participating students demonstrated that agriculture is far more than an academic subject.

Instead, they showed that it represents a vital opportunity to strengthen the sector by reducing import dependency and creating innovative solutions for market access.

Launched in 2023, the IRL Project was funded by a US$1-million investment from the Government of India through the India-United Nations Fund for Development Partnership.

It was implemented by the FAO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, and coordinated by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC).