CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (October 24, 2005) -- Junior Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Hon Livingston Herbert said that Nevis has to take a business approach towards agriculture and add value to agricultural products if greater inroads are to be made in the sector.
He made the comment recently during the launch of a 2006 Children's Poster Competition for primary and secondary school students at the NTV Channel 8 studio, ahead of the Department of Agriculture's 12th Agriculture Open Day and Exhibition slated for March 2006 under the theme Agribusiness "The Way To Go". He said the contest would expose students to the need to link agriculture with business.
We must be able to transform agriculture and make it exciting. It is often said that we are not doing enough but I believe that during the course of the last few years we have seen great strides, great innovations and great initiatives taken by the Ministry and Department of Agriculture.
We have seen a greater involvement of our people and for the 2006 Agricultural Open Day and Exhibition we are taking a momentous step of involving our young people particularly our schools in designing a poster as to their vision of how the business side of agriculture should evolve, he said.
Minister Herbert urged students to participate in the contest citing that agriculture was more than production, landscaping and protection of the environment, more than producing for food but that it was and always will be a way of life. He said that the competition provided an opportunity for those who participate to not only promote agriculture through the use of posters but also through postcards.
Also present was Director of Agriculture on Nevis Mr. Samuel Powell who outlined the rules and guidelines of the competition. He said they were looking forward to many entries and that the activity would bring to the fore young and budding artists.
According to Mr Powell, each student is required to submit one poster depicting ways in which agriculture can be approached as a business. The posters may be in colour, black and white or a collage in whatever medium the entrant chooses. Entries will be judged on creativity, relevance to the theme, content and quality of the presentation. Entries must be submitted to the Department of Agriculture in Prospect by January 14, 2006 and the winner will be notified by January 27, 2006.
The winner will receive a trophy, a cash prize of $250 and free entry to all Open Day activities.
Mr. Eric Evelyn chaired the event.
