A call has been made for young children to be taught to grow and appreciate agriculture from an early age.

Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Israel Bruce made this call at a recent event.

Minister Bruce said that he believes Saint Vincent and the Grenadines can become a pioneer by involving preschoolers in simple agricultural activities, helping to plant the concept of productivity and the importance of agriculture in their minds early.

"Engendering this culture of making sure we take agriculture to where we all want it to go. I conceptualize children who are going to our preschool, having them take a seed and if only to simply drop it in a jar with some soil and blotted paper, and then later show them that it is growing. It is planting that concept of productivity and the importance of agriculture in their minds at a very early stage. So let Saint Vincent and the Grenadines if we may become the pioneer where we have preschoolers doing agriculture. Agriculture will play a critical role in the advancement of the Vincentian economy going forward."

Minister Bruce is also calling for a collective national effort, stressing that technical staff within the ministry and backyard gardeners will play a key role in easing the economic crunch and reducing the country’s food import bill.

"I cannot do it alone, I am going to depend on the technical people in the Ministry and I am going to depend significantly on you, the backyard gardeners, to make sure that we ease the economic crisis, while at the same time, reduce our importation bill for agricultural produce in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines."

SOURCE: National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC Radio)