February 10, 2025
Agriculture students and teachers from three secondary schools in Linden gained valuable knowledge on Shade House Management and Pest and Disease Identification during a training session on Monday, organized by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI).
The training aimed to better equip students with the skills needed for their CSEC exams while also teaching them essential practices for Climate Smart Agriculture.
Nehal Patterson, Training Officer at NAREI, explained that the primary focus was on understanding the principles of shade house production and identifying the crops most suitable for such environments.
In addition to the shade house management training, the session also covered pesticide safety.
Jamaul Cumberbatch, Officer at the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board, emphasized the importance of proper pesticide storage.
Students were provided with protective equipment, and a cabinet for storing pesticides was donated to ensure safe handling.
Kevin De Jonge, Headmaster of MC’s Educational Institute, expressed appreciation for the training, noting its relevance as the school had recently built a shade house.
He highlighted that the knowledge gained would significantly aid in the management of the shade house and improve students’ performance in the agriculture program, particularly for the CSEC exams.
Other schools participating in the program were McKenzie High School and Linden Foundation Secondary.
The training is expected to strengthen the agricultural curriculum and empower students to apply sustainable farming practices in their future careers.