By Precious Mills
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Tuesday 16th January 2024) – Chancellor of the Southern University Agriculture Center and Dean of the College of Agriculture at Southern Orlando McMeans is encouraging individuals to consider a career in farming which includes mentioning making a six-figure salary and doing one’s part in helping to feed the world.
“Compared to years gone by in terms of what is happening now, farming is happening and occurring all over the world. I will tell you something I tell my faculty and students. I encourage my students and I recruit students to graduate in agriculture because in about 2050, we have to feed 10 billion people.
We’re not graduating enough people to take care of the individuals who need to be fed now.” He made the disclosure during an exclusive interview with this media house on Friday 29th December 2023 during a visit to the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
He was what advice he had to offer to individuals about choosing a career in farming. McMeans added: “So, what I’m doing is retooling our recruitment efforts, and just give you an idea in the last three to four years; our college enrollment for agriculture has grown 50.2% and so what we’re doing now, because kids like I did-and maybe like you didwe thought about agriculture as getting in the field, getting behind.” He added: “But when I tell people they can make six figures, where they can feed the world, where they can travel to China and live for a year or they can come down and be here in St.
Kitts [and Nevis] and contribute, you know, to the agricultural growth and well-being of their fellow man, I think that’s one thing that would draw them to it. But also letting them know what agriculture is really about. I have three degrees in agriculture.
I was in a laboratory all the time with a lab coat on. So it’s more than just a field. Sharing some details about Southern University, he commented: “Well, Southern University is a historically black college, a historically black university.
We have five different campuses. We have Baton Rouge, we have a law center, an ag [agriculture] center, we have a campus in New Orleans, and a campus in Shreveport that’s a two-year, and our total enrollment for all five campuses is around 11,500 to 12,000 students.” Commenting on what makes the university program stand out, he had this to say: “Our program stands out because we’re the only black college with an ag [agriculture] campus.
We have our own. We have our own campus, everything. I am the Chancellor. We have our own faculty. We have our farm. We have about 600 acres. The thing that makes us unique is that we’re the first HBCU [historically black college and university] to have a license to grow medical marijuana.
And we have 42 to – NEWS44 products on the market right now in Louisiana in 10 different dispensaries. And so we’re here now to expand our relationship on research and development with St. Kitts and Nevis. And also, we’re looking at opportunity to recruit students.” According to McMeans: “So we are really, really known for our agricultural commodities.
We work with another university, Louisiana State University, LSU. We try not to duplicate, but our strengths are in animal science, pre-vet medicine. A lot of our students go to vet school at Tuskegee and other prestigious veterinary schools.
We have the only urban forestry program in the nation accredited, and we have a bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph. D. program.” Front Banner Image: School students and others check out the duck pond at the 2023 Agriculture Open Day in April 2023 (Spokesman Snap) 7
