IICA celebrate Youth Farm Programme graduands

The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) Delegation Barbados held the 7th edition of the annual Youth Farm Programme Awards ceremony at the L.V. Harcourt Lewis Training Facility, Keith Bourne Complex on Belmont Road.

The Youth Farm Summer Programme is an eight week intensive training plan in crop and livestock farming, and land-based fisheries. The Programme exemplifies the commitment of the IICA to enhancing young farmers’ capacity in agriculture and promoting agribusiness development. Education Officer, Henderson Wiltshire thanked IICA for persisting with the important programme.

“I would like to thank the team from IICA for persevering with the programme despite the myriad of challenges that has faced them each year. Their commitment to this programme is the embodiment of their love for young people, farming and a desire to see agriculture as an important feature on the Barbadian landscape,” he said.

Thirty Youth Farm graduates received NVQ/CVQ certification in either Crop Production Level 1, Livestock Rearing Level 1 or Aquaculture Grow Out Operations Level 1 from the TVET Council. The excited participants of the Youth Farm Summer Programme, all decked out for their special day, were drawn from twelve secondary schools including Princess Margaret Secondary, Coleridge & Parry, Ellerslie Secondary School, Grantley Adams Memorial, Deighton Griffith, Alleyne School, St. George Secondary, The Lodge School, St. Leonard’s Boys’, Springer Memorial, Darryl Jordan Secondary and for the first time, one candidate from Harrison’s College.

Representatives from the Ministries of Education and Agriculture, including Senator Dr. Romel Springer, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education, Technology and Vocational Training and key strategic partners of IICA, including stakeholders from the agri-food sectors who sponsored internship opportunities for our Youth Farm candidates, were on hand for the graduation. 

Minister Springer reminded the graduands that Barbados needed them and that what they learned and were now certified in was going to be needed in order to guide Barbados into being more food self-sufficient.

“Climate change is putting even more pressure on the resources that we depend on and this in turn is increasing the risk associated with natural disasters, droughts and floods. Now the Youth Farm Programme certainly fits in the “Zero Hunger”...In 2030, we want to be better able to feed ourselves and I believe that you as young farmers, will play a crucial role in helping us to meet that goal. We depend on you and who will come after you,” he said.

Springer said that his hope was that by 2030, which is the time set for the United Nations “Zero Hunger” campaign, Barbados food production would increase from 17% to at least 40-50%. The senator also highlighted the fact that there was less land available for agriculture as the number residential neighbourhoods being built rises. Encouraging the young people to be resourceful, Springer said that they would have to learn to produce more, with less.

IICA Technical Specialist Dr. Roxanne Waithe also pointed out that the hard work behind the scenes by the assessors, schools and ministry officials ensured that all the participants in the programme were fully certified. The most outstanding candidate was Rivindra Chandan.

Youth Farm Programme Awardees

Ricardo Wilkinson – Greenland Livestock Research Station Award

Ravindra Chandan – Best Aquaculture Farmer & Most Outstanding Candidate

Terrell Gill – Sustainable Crop Farmer Award

Jelani Williams – Most Promising Youth Farmer – Crop Production

Trishana Kirton – Most Promising Youth Farmer – Livestock Rearing

Javonte Crichlow - Most Promising Youth Farmer – Aquaculture

Ryanna Grant – Most Outstanding Intern – Aquaculture

Aaron Hurley - Most Outstanding Intern – Crop Production

OkRuen Thomas – IICA Youth Farm Award