Catadupa and the surrounding districts have a rich history of farming. This has collapsed over the past 30 plus years, as sugar cane and banana are no longer that profitable to sustain. Other crops like ground provisions are no longer cultivated in any marketable abundance to create a viable moneymaker. The old farmers are now gone and the younger generation does not see these things as a way of life because of many factors that make it difficult for them to invest their time and energy into a farmer. Two factors that create this discouragement are the quality of the roads in the area and the closing of the railway system between Montego Bay and Kingston.

The question is how can Catadupa become that vibrant area that agriculture becomes an important factor again? With the changing climate all over the world, this area is blessed with an abundance of rainfall and running streams. With proper management, the abundance of water can be utilized to have the production of certain cash crops and medium-term crops to sustain a new drive in agriculture. Small steps must be taken to get the whole community involved, that is why the Catadupa Primary and Junior High is the focus of starting experiment crops like certain vegetables and herbs to see what they can recommend for the wider community. With the Cockpit Country all around with many varieties of flowering plants, the school can launch a small apiary with the help of the beekeeping society of Saint James.

The school is already working with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and as the school expands its agricultural experiments, it will be getting all the help possible from this organization. The goals are, planting more fruit trees, creating a thriving beekeeping industry, including the making of candles. This is a challenge that the children will be the benefactors of and we must work to get it done.