Creating opportunities for young people in the agriculture sector is among the key changes farmers in Naparima want to see.
As he met with the farming community of the constituency, Member of Parliament Dr. Narindra Roopnarine underscored the need to make agriculture more appealing to young people.
He highlighted the importance of youth inclusion in agriculture, saying they should be empowered to become innovators and cultivators.
“We must make farming attractive to our youth. Too often, young people seek agriculture as a life of hardship, but we must show them that it is a business, a science, a profession with dignity and profit. We must introduce agricultural education in schools, provide incentives for youth farmers and use technology to throw draw them into the sector. The next generation of farmers must be innovators as well as cultivators.”
Farmers shared the same sentiments, urging government officials to involve and prepare youth through agricultural programmes.
“I am here to ask the Minister, the MP, the government of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla 2.0, to do it differently this time, to listen tot he youth, to get the youths involved because when the older folks retire and handover, we need to have the youths in a place where they can move forward.”
Another farmer suggested targeting schools as he believes involving children from a young age will prepare them for a future in agriculture.
“We need to target the school children on agriculture on an easy form and fashion. It have the hydroponics and aquaponics. We could set up this on any structure, any land anywhere, it could be controlled and it could also make youth more attracted to it because we all know agriculture, it has more labour and work and these systems could make things more attractive to the youth to come and venture into agriculture.”
Residents believe that involving youth in agriculture can transform the perception and the value of farming.