Youth Must See Agriculture as a Future, Not a Last Resort: Dr Dayton Campbell Outlines Seven-Point Pipeline for Next Generation

Opposition Spokesman on Agriculture and Fisheries Dr Dayton Campbell has called for the immediate reinstatement of National 4-H Achievement Day and the establishment of a structured national Youth in Agriculture Pipeline, warning that the cancellation of one of Jamaica's most important youth agriculture events sends the wrong signal at a time when the country urgently needs to attract the next generation into farming and agribusiness.

Speaking during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate on Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr Campbell expressed concern that the cancellation of National Achievement Day 2026 had been announced without a full explanation to Parliament, to stakeholders, or to the thousands of young people who had been preparing to participate.

"National Achievement Day is not simply an event. It is one of the most important platforms through which young Jamaicans showcase their skills, innovation, discipline, and commitment to agriculture. For many young people from rural communities, it is their first opportunity to compete on a national stage. Cancelling it without explanation and without a credible alternative is deeply disappointing." Dr Dayton Campbell, MP, Opposition Spokesman on Agriculture and Fisheries
Dr Campbell outlined four specific and time-bound demands.

First, the Minister should provide Parliament and the country with a clear and full explanation of the factors that led to the cancellation of National Achievement Day 2026. Second, the Government should commit to restoring National Achievement Day in 2027 with adequate and transparently reported funding. Third, consideration should be given to hosting an alternative national youth agriculture showcase before the end of the current calendar year, so that students who have worked diligently are not denied the opportunity to display their achievements. Fourth, the budgetary support provided to Jamaica 4-H Clubs should be strengthened and reported transparently to Parliament so that the nation can assess whether sufficient resources are being invested in youth agricultural development.

Beyond the immediate question of National Achievement Day, Dr Campbell called for the establishment of a clear and comprehensive Youth in Agriculture Pipeline beginning in schools and continuing through training, land access, enterprise development, and market opportunities.

He outlined seven specific components of such a pipeline:  1. Every secondary school should have access to practical agricultural learning opportunities, whether through school gardens, greenhouses, hydroponics units, livestock projects, or agro-processing initiatives appropriate to the school's environment. 2. Agricultural science must be repositioned as a modern, dynamic, and technology-driven field to attract ambitious young people. 3. A transparent Youth in Agriculture Land Access Programme should connect trained young farmers with suitable public and underutilised lands through fair and structured lease arrangements. 4. Young farmers should have greater access to affordable financing, grants, and equipment support based on talent and commitment rather than inherited assets. 5. Key institutions including RADA, the HEART/NSTA Trust, Jamaica 4-H Clubs, CASE, universities, and farmers' organisations should be coordinated within a single national youth agriculture development programme. 6. Every parish should have access to a youth agriculture incubator providing technical support, business mentoring, shared equipment, and market assistance. 7. The Ministry should publish an annual report on the number of young people benefiting from land access, financing, training, and market support.

"Talent, commitment, and innovation should determine opportunity in Jamaican agriculture, not whether a young person was born with land, collateral, or inherited resources. Our commitment to youth in agriculture cannot be measured only by what we say. It must be reflected in the opportunities we preserve and the investments we make." Dr Dayton Campbell stated.

Dr Campbell also called for the establishment of a Women in Agriculture Enterprise Programme focused on improving access to financing, equipment, training, agro-processing support, packaging, branding, and market opportunities. He noted that women are farmers, agro-processors, vendors, entrepreneurs, and community leaders whose contributions to food production and household food security are indispensable yet insufficiently recognised by national policy.

He argued that application processes for support programmes must be straightforward, transparent, and accessible through RADA offices, extension officers, community outreach, and digital platforms, ensuring that rural women can easily understand and access the opportunities available to them.