An agricultural science project at Old Road Primary School, which aims to supply a variety of vegetables to support the School Feeding Programme, is progressing well.
High-yielding crops such as cucumbers, sweet peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes are being grown within a protected structure on the school’s compound, a release from the Ministry of Agriculture said.
According to the national specialist for the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Craig Thomas, through the implementation of innovative technology, students are learning effective agricultural practices that are currently being used to improve productivity and food security in the country.
Funding for the project has been provided by the New Zealand High Commission in the amount of US$10,481, and the Sir Andy Roberts Community Development Foundation Group which provided EC$10,000 to help buy tools and equipment.
Currently, the project is in its final phase with the installation of the drip-irrigation system through technical support from the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), assisted by the Ministry of Agriculture and IICA.
A training workshop where the students, the Parent Teachers Association and members of the community sowed cucumber and sweet pepper seeds was also part of the project.
Since then, the cucumber seeds have germinated and will be transplanted later this week.