Youth land plan taking root

from The Nation News

THE YOUTH IN AGRICULTURE programme, spearheaded by Undene Whittaker of the Office of Poverty Eradication and the Millennium Development Goals, is one step closer to getting off the ground.

On Friday, workers from the Ministry of Transport and Works began clearing two acres of land to be utilised for the project located in The Pine, St Michael, next to the Animal Nutrition Unit.

Whittaker said there were a number of unemployed young people who signed up for the programme so far. They will be paid a weekly stipend of $150.

However, she pointed out that it was not payment but a means to ensure they could pay bus fare and take care of other minor expenses.

"The . . . aim is for them to acquire the skills so they can branch out on their own by either using their own lands or the land for the landless programme," she said, after trying her hand at operating a Bobcat.

She said the next step would be to plough the ground. After that, vegetable seedlings would be brought in and when matured, the vegetables would be sold to the public via a farmers market.