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Growth & Jobs | MBCCI empowers students through Farm to Table Initiative

Published:Tuesday | October 31, 2023 | 12:07 AM
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Assistant Landscaping Manager at the Half Moon Resort in St James, Navardo Mighten (left), gives students and their teachers participating in the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry Farm to Table initiative a tour of the establishment’s plant nu
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Assistant Landscaping Manager at the Half Moon Resort in St James, Navardo Mighten (left), gives students and their teachers participating in the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry Farm to Table initiative a tour of the establishment’s plant nursery and farm on October 27.
Parish Social Services and Home Economics Officer at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority in Catherine Hall, St James, Tanya Robertson, gives students participating in the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry Farm to Table initiative a tour
Contributed
Parish Social Services and Home Economics Officer at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority in Catherine Hall, St James, Tanya Robertson, gives students participating in the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry Farm to Table initiative a tour of the agency’s agro-processing facility on October 27.
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The Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) is proud to announce its successful second Farm to Table Initiative for high-school students, aimed at fostering sustainable farming and agricultural growth while engaging the youth in the process.

The initiative kicked off with a site visit to the Jamaica Christian School for the Deaf on Wednesday, October 25, which marked a new participant in this year’s programme. Working in collaboration with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), the chamber’s director, Dr Sherridene Lee, led the visit to support the school’s execution plans for their own farm.

The programme continued with an enriching day on October 27, for all participating schools, with 30 students.

It began with an insightful tour of RADA, where attendees learned about RADA’s pioneering e-commerce platform, Agri-Linkages Exchange. Following this, the group visited the Half Moon Hotel, where they explored the farm and were warmly hosted at a lunch, to conclude the day.

The Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce recognises the significance of nurturing sustainable farming practices and agricultural growth. Through these initiatives, the MBCCI is dedicated to creating awareness and exposure for students, with the goal of making agriculture a viable and attractive career choice.

Students from Jamaica Christian School for the Deaf, Knockalva Polytechnic College, Montego Bay Community College and Spot Valley High School participated in the day’s activities. The teachers from the schools expressed appreciation for the workshop and commented that “the experience was indeed informative, and the exposure will act as an important point of inspiration to the students”.

“Change is never easy, but it requires action and adaptability,” stated Nadine Spence, director and committee chair of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce. “Our communities can only flourish with our active involvement and investment. Service truly matters.”