PHILIPSBURG--Members of Parliament (MPs) echoed the need to develop local agriculture and to do so by including the subject in the curriculums of the island’s education system.
During the meeting of the Central Committee of Parliament on Monday, MPs pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of self-sustainability through the provision of locally-grown produce.
The MPs shared suggestions and posed questions to Minister of Education, Culture Youth and Sport Rodolphe Samuel on ways in which this can be implemented within St. Maarten’s education system.
National Alliance (NA) MP Anqelique Romou said that now more than ever, COVID-19 has shown the importance of further developing agriculture on the island. “One way we can sustain agriculture in the long term is by educating and providing our youth with the skill-set for agriculture,” she said, also citing the ministry’s initiative several years ago for the inclusion of agriculture.
She requested from the minister an update on the ministry’s plans for further development of the inclusion of agriculture within the schools’ curriculums. She noted prominent agriculturists in St. Maarten that could be consulted and could be of assistance to the ministry in this area.
In response, Samuel said, “The ministry will be revisiting the inclusion of agriculture in the curriculum and see how it can become more prevalent and incorporated in our existing science social studies curriculum.”
Party for Progress (PFP) MP Melissa Gumbs also shared the same sentiments on the inclusion of agriculture within the education curriculum in schools. She questioned the minister on what projects are planned within the ministry to re-incorporate agriculture into the everyday operations and curriculum, specifically in St. Maarten Vocational Training School.
She suggested integrating proposed renovations of the school as an ideal opportunity
to establish on-property vertical gardens throughout these new classrooms and properly support the programme.
“This would continue to expose the students to daily agricultural work and uncover even more local farmers to sustain our efforts for the future, which is much needed both now and in the future,” she said.
Samuel, in agreeance with Gumbs, said he believes that a feasible option for St. Maarten would be the introduction of hydroponics, a method of growing plants without soil by instead using mineral nutrient solutions in a water solvent.
He said that instead of planting in the ground, this system would allow planting within buildings or enclosed areas where a maximum amount of produce can be cultivated.
He also suggested the use of aquaponics for fish farming, using either Simpson Bay Lagoon as a location to start or by setting up this system outside the shores. “If we talk about feeding our people and making it look attractive for young people to get involved in, then, yes, aquaponics can be the way to go,” he said.
