Michael McLean, Gleaner WriterLACOVIA, St. Elizabeth:
HUNDREDS OF primary, secondary and high school students from across the island participated in the recent Sidney Pagon Agricultural High School's annual agricultural education exposition held at the school in Elim, St. Elizabeth.
Speaking at the function on the theme 'Agricultural Education in Action', Glendon Harris, first vice-president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), said, education was the only solution to unlock the cycle of poverty that has been gripping some communities.
"With the fast development of the global market and the vertical integration of agriculture in first world countries, farmers in developing countries have an advantage which is to acquire substantial knowledge and experience in research development and management strategies. All of these are product of a suitable education system," said Mr. Harris.
FOOD SECURITY
Turning to the issue of food security, he said there was tremendous responsibility on younger persons to ensure that the nation can feed itself, adding that stakeholders of the agricultural sector must take urgent steps to equip the youths with "the tools" needed to fight this global war for food security.
"If we achieve economy of scale with three to four new products in agriculture by year 2006, we will see unemployment in the sector decrease, GDP increase and overall increases in the standards of living for many Jamaicans," he said.
