by Linda Straker
- Youths interested in agri-business initiatives challenged with respect to land and financing
- Proposal will be reviewed and approved on Friday, 19 February 2021
- Future of agriculture depends on continued evolution of industry
A comprehensive proposal from the Government of Grenada that is aimed at supporting youth in agriculture initiatives will go before the Board of the Caricom Development Fund (CDF) for review and approval on Friday, 19 February 2021.
“We are pursuing all of these initiatives because many youths are interested in getting into agri-business initiatives are challenged with respect to land and financing,” Agriculture Minister Peter David disclosed.
The Caricom Development Fund (CDF) is an institution of the Caribbean Community which mandate is to provide financial or technical assistance to disadvantaged countries, regions and sectors in the Community.
“If we are to continue on the path of developing and modernising the agricultural sector in general and the nutmeg industry in particular, we must find ways to attract the youth,” David said, while delivering remarks during the 2021 annual meeting of the Grenada Cooperative Nutmeg Association (GCNA) held at the Deluxe Cinema in Grenville last Thursday. “In collaboration with the Ministry of Youth, we in the Ministry of Agriculture are working on the Youth in Agriculture initiative.”
David explained that the allocation of land through the Land Bank programme, along with finding new and innovative financing arrangements are at the core of this initiative.
Another critical component of the initiative will be the use of technology in agriculture and new methods for enhancing productivity. “We hope the nutmeg industry will join us to make this initiative a success. With the introduction of the new Smart Green House under the Chinese Agricultural Mission, we expect many young persons will take a keen interest in the sector,” the Agriculture Minister said to farmers whose production for 2020 earned revenue of EC$8,642,045.
David told the nutmeg farmers, some of whom are also involved in the farming of other crops, that the future of agriculture in Grenada depends on the continued evolution of the industry to meet the new demands of the environment in which we live. “The world is rapidly evolving with new technologies and new approaches. We in Grenada are not isolated from these constantly changing factors. Climate change is affecting how we farm and what we produce. We must adapt to this reality if we are to sustain the sector,” he said.
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