DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOSTERS YOUTH ENGAGEMENT IN AGRICULTURE AND VETERINARY MEDICINE

(MOA Basseterre, St. Kitts, 16 April 2025):

In alignment with its ongoing mission to promote interest and participation in agriculture and veterinary medicine, the Veterinary Services Unit at the Department of Agriculture, St. Kitts reaffirmed its commitment to youth development through hands-on engagement and educational outreach over the past two weeks.

As part of this initiative, the Unit welcomed three students from Saddlers Secondary School and one from Basseterre High School for an immersive shadowing experience. These students were afforded the opportunity to accompany both extension and veterinary officers from the Livestock Division as they conducted routine field operations. During this period, the students actively participated in farm visits, engaged directly with livestock, and assisted in clinical examinations and treatments. This initiative provided a valuable platform for experiential learning and first-hand exposure to careers in agriculture and veterinary science.

In a further demonstration of its educational outreach, the Veterinary Services Unit also facilitated a field trip on April 10 for students enrolled in the Introduction to Livestock Animal Husbandry course at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC). This visit exposed participants to practical aspects of livestock health management, including pregnancy diagnosis using ultrasound technology, and both closed and open methods of animal castration on goats and pigs, respectively. The session emphasized active participation, culminating in each student performing the surgical castration of a piglet under professional supervision, following a demonstrative tutorial.

These recent initiatives underscore the Department’s strategic focus on cultivating youth interest and competence in the dynamic and multifaceted livestock sector. By providing meaningful, practical experiences, the Veterinary Services Unit continues to serve as a catalyst for inspiring the next generation of agricultural and veterinary professionals in the Federation.

The Department affirms its position as a crucial link between technical expertise and the future human resource base of the agriculture sector in St. Kitts and Nevis and underlines its continued openness to such collaborations and educational initiatives.

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