Hon Karl Samuda (2nd left), Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF), presents a cheque valued $6m, the first tranche of a $20m contribution to the Knockalva Agricultural School in Hanover, to principal Davia Ramgeet-Robinson (2nd right). The presentation was made at the World Food Day National Ceremony & Exhibition held at the school on October 12. Participating in the handover are (from left) Byron Henry, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Jamaica Dairy Development Board; Chairman of the School Board Calvin Brown and Donovan Stanberry, Permanent Secretary, MICAF.
The Ministry of Industry, Commerce , Agriculture and Fisheries through the Jamaica Dairy Development Board is providing a multimillion dollar support package to the Knockalva Agricultural School in Ramble, Hanover.
This was announced by Minister Karl Samuda on Thursday, October 12 as the school hosted the National World Food Day Ceremony and Exhibition under the theme ‘Change the future of migration. Invest in food security and rural development’.
A cheque, valued at $6 million and representing the first tranche of the financial support to the school was also handed over at the day’s event.
The funds are expected to provide infrastructure development for the school, with specific focus on its livestock agriculture.
In his address at the World Food Day event, Minister Samuda stressed the need for the provision of both hard and soft infrastructure in rural communities to stem rural to urban migration; keep young people in those areas and attract them to involvement in agriculture as a means of economic growth and development.
The agriculture minister said it was necessary to target a 50 to 60 per cent growth in food production over the next 30 years in spite of the challenges posed by the impact of climate change.
Minister Samuda lauded the commitment of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to mitigate the impact of climate change on the agriculture and food industry and urged the young people to assist in preserving the environment.
World Food Day, an initiative of the FAO, is celebrated annually on October 16 in some 150 countries across the globe and places focus on food-related issues such as hunger, malnutrition and obesity.
The local ceremony and expo was organised by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries in association with the FAO.
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