AGRICULTURE Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, has commended the latest batch of United States (US) Peace Corps volunteers, who have come to serve across the country.

"We are very pleased that on this occasion the volunteers will be focusing on health (HIV/AIDS), youth and the environment, including agricul-ture. These are among the Government's top priorities and areas of focus, as we seek to build human capacity, while transforming and growing the Jamaican economy," he said.

The minister was speaking at the swearing-in ceremony for 49 volunteers, at the US Embassy in Kingston, last Thursday.
He said the expertise and training of the volunteers would have a positive impact on the areas to which they have been assigned.

The minister said he was particularly pleased that some of the volunteers would be assigned to the various environmental and agricultural-related activities, including the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA).

"The extension service is very critical in enhancing agriculture and improving the standard of living of farmers and by extension rural communities," he said, adding that the sector lacked the human resources to assist the over 200,000 Jamaican farmers, as currently, the sector has one extension officer serving 1,500 farmers.

He argued that the extension effort would get a significant boost from the Peace Corps volunteers, whose knowledge did not cover just the "core agriculture", but also business, management, marketing and the environment.

Dr Tufton also noted that the exchange is an opportunity for cultural interaction and to learn from each other.

United States Ambassador to Jamaica, Brenda LaGrange Johnson, in her remarks, said that the volunteers serve as a reminder of the highly valued relationship between the two countries. The volunteers, who will spend two years in Jamaica, have successfully completed eight weeks of training, and are versed in the Jamaican culture, which include language, food and mode of transportation, among others.

The US Peace Corps was established in 1961 by John F Kennedy and involves American men and women of all ages and ethnic groups. Since its inception, more than 182,000 persons have served as volunteers in 138 countries around the world.

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