Byron McDaniel, Gleaner Writer

Walderston, Manchester:

Minister of Agriculture and Lands, Roger Clarke, has announced a twinning of the Bodles Research Station and the Christiana Potato Growers Association's (CPGCA) research in greenhouse technology.

The minister, who was addressing the 30th annual general meeting of the association in Christiana two Thursdays ago, commended the achievements of the CPGCA and the headway it has made into the use of greenhouse technology to boost production.

Leading the way

"Christiana is leading the way and I am prepared to follow in that direction. Whatever the ministry can do within the resources that we have, Christiana and that project will be a priority and on top of the pile," the minister said as he made an initial donation of $2.5 million toward the efforts of the association.

"We have decided that research done at Bodles should be done in collaboration with what is happening here and we are doing just that by twinning our research with what is happening here."

Minister Clarke also announced that a tissue culture lab has been established in St. Elizabeth and another in Westmoreland and he will be seeking the assistance of Alvin Murray, the general manager of the CPGCA, in the operations of the labs.

On the other hand, Member of Parliament for northeast Manchester, Audley Shaw, who had donated $250,000 to build the first greenhouse at Devon, expressed concern about the effects of bauxite mining on farming activities in the area. He lamented that the soil was being taken out, depleted and exported, posing a threat to many farmlands.

He contended that a portion of the earnings from bauxite should be used to fund projects to promote the development of agriculture.