Authorities in Guyana are trying to find ways to make agriculture more attractive to young graduates:
Guyana is suffering a serious problem of “brain drain” with specialists in the agricultural sector and the shortage is in a sore need to be gapped in hurry.
This was the grim message to scores of students who gathered yesterday at the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, to hear about possible careers in the agriculture field.
Several companies as well as agencies of the Ministry also made presentations of the fields that are high in demand—companies like Geddes Grant, Ainlim, Caribbean Chemicals Guyana Limited and the Guyana Sugar Corporation.
The career day activities are part of the government’s celebrations of Agriculture Month 2010.
According to Dindyal Permaul, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, the pursuit of science subjects and Math and English which are critical to the curriculum, does not limit students to just the agriculture sector since the field is very wide.
With the many courses available leading up to the University of Guyana level, students have the very real choice of either being employees…or employers.
Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, noted that Guyana was built on farming background with agriculture being the fastest growing sector now.
With very significant input to the country’s gross domestic product, the very success of the students depends heavily on the continued growth of the agriculture sector.
It is against this background that there should be a total revolution of the sector with the traditional approach outdated to meet national and international demands.
Explaining, Persaud drew reference to the fact that Guyana has lost a significant percentage of its preferential market and this year for the first time had to compete with other international players.
The Minister stressed that the industry needs new blood but the reality is that not many are interested in this field.
Acknowledging the challenges to the agricultural sector including markets and the weather factor, the official warned that the continued perception of farming is for people with little education is totally misplaced.
He repeated earlier calls for the need to make the country’s agriculture sector more “sexy”, explaining that it simply means that ways must be found to make it more attractive.
See Kaieteur News Online for the complete article.
Previously on Green Antilles: Is there a shortage of young farmers in Jamaica?.
[Photo: SC Cunningham]
Very interesting that you are also struggling with recruiting students into agriculture. The U.S. is also struggling with encouraging more students to consider studying agriculture. Based on a 2005 national study to evaluate the different factors affecting admission and matriculation of high school students in the United States into college programs related to agriculture sciences, 41% of the students had a misconception or image about agricultural sciences; 33% lacked knowledge about employment opportunities; 22% lacked knowledge about fields of study; 22% perceived little relevance or importance to their future career; 11% did not have fundamental knowledge in math and science; and 7% felt peer pressure and family were against agricultural sciences studies.
What factors are keeping students from considering agriculture in your country?
The best way is to reward young people for manageable projects e.g. small garden plots and give them incentives e.g cash awards or equipment