While Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha described it as a small donation, Benjettan Osborne, a teacher attached to North Georgetown Secondary, remarked that the Ministry’s contribution is game-changing for the school’s agricultural department. Further, the teacher noted that the contribution translates to one less financial burden for parents who are already struggling to cope with the pandemic.
Osborne said this today after his school received 250 cabbage plants, 256 celery plants, 128 lettuce plants, 128 tomato plants and 50 boilers/baby chicks from the Ministry of Agriculture.
After a simple handing over ceremony at the Ministry’s Regent Street location, Osborne told the media that there is little funding for the agriculture department at his school. Therefore, students usually have to pool resources in order to purchase needed supplies for practical. “Seedlings, bird feeds, basically the students buy everything to get their practical work done. The donation will alleviate that burden as many parents lost their jobs and are not in the position to stand certain expenses.”
Osborne continued, “We don’t do single award agri, we do double award agri so we have to do boiler production, crop production and a business plan. Also, they have to do 10 skills along the way with these practicals. It is a lot of work ad a lot of expense so getting this donation is a great help.”
Even as he noted that it was North Georgetown that reached out to the Ministry for help, Minister Mustapha said that he is happy to work in collaboration with schools for the development of the agriculture sector. The Minister said that he has plans to launch a programme early next year that will focus on the production of value-added crops like broccoli cauliflowers, carrots.
Mustapha said that many often run away with the idea that agricultural work is menial and is more suited for the mature population. Noting that that is not the case, the Minister said that he is happy to see young students interested in the sector.
He further noted that the sector is expanding as the government is pumping much more resources into it.
Minister Mustapha then promised that in addition to the aforementioned plants and livestock that were handed over today, he already asked the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) to also give the school broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. He also pledged to donate a shade house.
Mustapha said he wishes to make similar donations to schools across the country and hopes that North Georgetown can be a model for others to follow.
The Minister noted that the school will be visited by an extension officer who will provide guidelines for the development of a “proper farm” in the school’s compound.
