NCU launches UNESCO-funded Innovative Farming project

Two hundred women and youth will be trained to grow vegetables using hydroponics technology at Northern Caribbean University (NCU) in Mandeville. The project, which is aimed at promoting food security and employment among vulnerable groups, is sponsored by the Jamaica National Commission for the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), through a grant of USD$ 21,000.

The 1500-square-foot greenhouse was handed over to NCU on September 6. The fully automated facility is capable of producing 1,600 vegetable plants (lettuce and pak choi) in six weeks, three times more than would be produced from the ground.

In remarks delivered on her behalf by Lenford Salmon, Culture Minister Olivia Grange noted that despite Jamaica currently experiencing low unemployment, there were gaps related to women and youth who have no certification.

“This is why this project is so significant at a time like this, as it seeks to offer invaluable training to these two subsectors in particular…and I encourage the women and youth in this area to avail themselves of this glorious opportunity,” she said.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, NCU President Professor Lincoln Edwards noted that there are many female farmers who wish to upgrade their skills and use appropriate technology to add value to their existing operations. He added that the hydroponics training project will also provide the youth with the opportunity to empower themselves to achieve fulfilled, productive lives.

Professor Edwards disclosed that NCU offers a slew of agricultural-related degree programmes and diplomas “at a critical time in Jamaica and world history, when food security is a real global concern”. This comes against the background of the university’s rich history in agriculture since its founding in 1907, which includes being the first entity in Manchester to grow large orchards of strawberries and oranges for on-campus uses, sale and the export of orange and ortanique juice across the Caribbean.

The president also highlighted that during the past 20 years, the university has engaged in agricultural events and has hosted agricultural fora like the Youth in Agriculture Symposium of February 2020. In addition, research by NCU faculty Deshaun Martin-Clarke has led to the ‘pest forecasting system’ that has been instrumental in addressing army worm infestations.