Minister Hutchinson Encourages Students to Become Environmental Ambassadors

Hon J.C. Hutchinson, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, has encouraged students participating in the LASCO Releaf Environmental Awareness Programme (REAP) Competition to become environmental ambassadors. Speaking at the sub-launch of the fifth LASCO REAP Competition, held at the St. Jago Cathedral Preparatory School in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, on January 24, Minister Hutchinson commended LASCO for its foresight in initiating the programme, which is designed to promote environmental preservation among 130 primary, preparatory and junior high school students.
REAP encourages tree planting, recycling, energy conservation, school gardening, and well-kept school and community environments and since its inception students have been involved in the establishment of over 100 school gardens and the planting of 15,000 trees.
Mr. Hutchinson noted that school gardens provide an excellent training ground for potential young farmers and can contribute to Government’s school feeding and breakfast programme. He said that, when managed properly, school gardens can generate direct economic benefits by producing crops and livestock for sale to school canteens, other staff members and neighbouring restaurants.
“The profits gained can then be used for the garden’s maintenance and the purchase of other inputs,” he said.
Twenty high schools and churches will also take part in the REAP competition, which will see $100,000 being awarded to the school that collects/recycles the most bottles; and $50,000 and a water tank for the school that wins the best school garden.
Minister Hutchinson also emphasised the need for farmers to practise climate-smart agriculture as it was the only way to grow the sector in a sustainable way. He noted the negative impact of climate change on the agricultural sector, which has resulted in an approximate $7.6-billion loss to the agricultural sector during the period 2004-2012.
Through the Ministry, Minister Hutchinson said, several programmes have been managed or implemented to mitigate the impact of climate change on the agricultural sector. These include training of 2,300 farmers in better soil conservation methods; installation of over 107 climate-smart gravity drip irrigation systems; and capacity building for farmers in relation to climate-smart agriculture.
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