(Stock Photo)
Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Fisheries and Water Resource Management, Manasseh King, is appealing to lending agencies to relax their requirements and give agri-preneurs a chance.
He made this request last Wednesday while addressing the graduation and awards ceremony of the Youth Agri-Preneurship Incubator Programme at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.
Mr. King pointed out that the young agri-preneurs would be disadvantaged when entering the sector, especially sourcing funding to start up their enterprises.
“I appeal to lending institutions, established agricultural entities and other stakeholders to give the youth a chance. Listen to them, mentor them…employ them…relax the rigid loan requirements to assist them with start-up expenses. In fact, we can start right here by engaging the young people who are seeking to promote their businesses,” the Deputy Permanent Secretary said to applause from the audience.
He congratulated the budding agri-preneurs for choosing careers in agriculture and wished them well in their quest to “not only generate an income for yourselves but to ensure the sustainability of the agriculture sector so as to enhance food security and provide healthy nutrition and quality products for Barbadians”.
Thirty-nine graduates from cohorts three, four and five of the programme received certificates and special awards during the ceremony.