Following his successes as a 400m runner, representing Jamaica across the globe, Olympian Ricardo Chambers now has his eyes set on using agriculture for good through hydroponic farming.
Chambers, the CEO and managing director of Chambers Hydrofarm located in Swabys Hope in Manchester, said he became invested in the sector three years ago and wishes to impact the Caribbean.
"I chose hydroponic farming after doing research and looking at the problems we face here in Jamaica and other countries. It was a no-brainer, I said this is the easiest type of farming currently available," he said.
Though he grew up in a farming community in Trelawny, and later migrated to Florida in the United States of America where he was also exposed to farming as a youngster, Chambers said he had to learn the rigours of farming through first-hand experience.
"It's capital intensive because the things are not cheap and it requires some technical knowledge to set this up. But I learnt how to build the system and manage the system over time. I took a trip to Tampa, Florida, to see and get a better understanding of hydroponic farm. I later set up 10 pipes at the back of my house and I started growing. When I figured things out, I came back to Jamaica and dived in."
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