Participants in the Ministry of Agriculture's Summer Internship Programme spent a day at Greencastle Agricultural Station on Friday, receiving practical training in crop production, nursery management, field operations and agricultural administration.
The interns rotated through several learning stations, each designed to expose them to a different facet of modern agriculture. They were introduced to the station's plant propagation work, including techniques such as seed propagation, cuttings and grafting, applied to ornamental plants, fruit trees and seedlings.
At the nursery, Agriculture Assistant Grantley and Supervisor Victor guided interns through proper soil preparation, with participants sifting soil and filling nursery pots. A separate group worked alongside trainee Zulema to transplant seedless watermelon seedlings, learning about seedling care and propagation methods in the process.
Field training centred on coconut tree management, where Agriculture Assistant Rennice taught interns to identify common diseases and fungal infections, prune infected branches correctly and understand the nutritional requirements of coconut trees. The group also toured grafted mango and starfruit trees on the station's grounds.
Beyond crop work, interns helped organise and clean the station's tool house, reinforcing the importance of equipment maintenance and workplace safety. On the administrative side, Office Trainee Shanice walked participants through key record-keeping procedures, including timesheets, registers, departure records and basic salary calculations — underscoring that running an agricultural station requires strong administrative functions as well as fieldwork.
The visit wrapped up with team presentations summarising the day's learning. Team Grow took first place in the competition, followed by Dynamic 7 in second, Seven Sparks in third and Agriculture on the Go (AOTG) in fourth.
The Greencastle Agricultural Station visit is one component of the Ministry of Agriculture's broader Summer Internship Programme, which aims to give young people practical agricultural experience and encourage careers in the sector.
