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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
 NASSAU, The Bahamas -- The low academic level of human capital in the Agricultural Sector of The Bahamas is a major impediment to growth, poverty reduction and food security in the Family Islands and in the inner communities of urban Nassau, and to some extent, Freeport, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Rt. Hon. Perry Christie said, in the House of Assembly, on May 25, 2016.
"The establishment in September 2013 of the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) served to create a tertiary level academic curriculum which would offer Associates degrees, Diplomas, Certificates and a Skills Training programme to students training in the technologies associated with crop and livestock production and marine and fisheries resource development," Prime Minister Christie said, during his 2016/2017 Budget Communication.
Prime Minister Christie pointed out that several weeks earlier, the College of The Bahamas (COB) and BAMSI negotiated a collaborative agreement, where the qualifications to enter BAMSI are the same as those for entering COB. There will be student exchanges and collaboration with facilities on teaching and research assignments, he noted.
"In addition to the College Of The Bahamas agreement, there are also agreements with the University of Miami, University of Florida, Ocean University of China and one pending with the University of the West Indies School of Agriculture in St. Augustine, Trinidad," he said.
"BAMSI is about knowledge-driven development of our agriculture and marine resources and the Institute is now a member of the Caribbean Council of Higher Education in Agriculture (CACHE)".
Prime Minister Christie said that The Bahamas was accepted as a member of the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute, CARDI, the premier agricultural research entity in CARICOM, and CARDI will have its offices on the BAMSI site in North Andros and will add a new dimension to its research programme by giving it regional credibility.
"Bahamians working as counterparts to CARDI professionals will be able to undertake research in The Bahamas and earn UWI postgraduate qualifications at both the Masters and Doctoral degree levels," he said. "The Caribbean Farmers’ Network (CaFAN) is the leading small farmer organization in CARICOM and has invited the Institute to have its Associated Farmers’ Programme as a member."
Prime Minister Christie said that it is also notable that BAMSI is the only marine institute in CARICOM, and possibly the region as a whole, and a number of CARICOM states have announced their intention to send their students for training in order to more efficiently manage their marine resources.
"BAMSI is an investment in human capital development, and in the food and nutrition security infrastructure of our country," he stated. "BAMSI will continue to transform the Agricultural Sector and provide a more secure marine environment for Bahamians."
© Copyright 2016 by thebahamasweekly.com
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