Hope farm institute set for early 2026 handover

Construction of the Hope Agriculture Training Institute in St Lucy is nearing completion, with contractors confident the China-funded campus will be ready to hand over to the Ministry of Educational Transformation in early 2026 after weather-related delays to final works on the site.

Building now 98 per cent complete, with full facility readiness projected for this Sunday, Independence Day, the officials told Barbados TODAY.

On a site visit to the Hope estate in St Lucy, Chinese officials Li Ming, representative of SIPPR Engineering Group, the project’s management and supervision firm, and Wu Weizhong, manager at Shanghai Construction Group (SCG), outlined the project’s scope, progress and challenges. Their responses were translated by Ke (Kevin) Ren of SCG.

“We are still on track from a construction perspective,” Wu said, noting that the only remaining major construction elements include fencing and asphalt road paving, the progress of which was affected by inclement weather.
“There was heavy rain last weekend, and that delayed our work a little bit. So we are actively engaging with local suppliers… to make sure the asphalt paving can be finished before the end of the project.”

Wu added that after the construction phase ends, significant technical commissioning will begin, once the mains for water and for electricity are connected: “Once the electricity and water are there, we need to run the entire project… to make sure all the equipment and the entire facility can run smoothly.”

Despite challenges, both managers emphasised their confidence in timely completion. “We believe solutions always outnumber problems,” Wu said, crediting close co-operation with the Ministry of Educational Transformation and support from the Chinese embassy for helping resolve issues quickly.

‘Revolutionising education’

The multi-million-dollar, China-aided project, which broke ground on 20 April 2024, has been touted as a revolutionary investment in modernised agricultural training and food security. The institute will integrate tertiary-level agricultural programmes currently offered at the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute, Barbados Community College and the Barbados Vocational Training Board, establishing one central hub for agricultural learning, research and entrepreneurship.

The 57 000 sq ft facility is designed to accommodate 300 students and 60 teachers, with three main zones stretching from west to east: a livestock section, a teaching and administration building, and dormitory facilities.
Expounding on key structures, Li noted that the facility includes the administration and teaching building, staff and student dormitory building, seven livestock sheds, three greenhouses, crop storage, a demonstration classroom, a repair workshop and a guard hut. Additional features include a photovoltaic system, an equipment room and a disinfection room.

Climate-smart design

Wu explained that the facility was designed with rigorous engineering and quality management standards, which were applied throughout. He said SCG uses the internationally recognised ISO 9001 quality system, which emphasises “customer focus, overall participation, process-oriented approach, continuous improvement, and evidence-based decision-making”.

Li added that local environmental conditions strongly shaped the design: “This project fully considered local climate conditions, such as salt-spray corrosion features, rainwater collection from the roof, and hurricane impacts… to ensure safety, durability and resistance.”

Some design revisions were also made through consultations with ministry engineers. These changes included increasing lift dimensions, installing 13 underground tanks, and changing from diesel to natural gas generators. The managers noted that they “fully respect the opinions of the Ministry of Education and professional engineers”.

Once launched, HATI’s facilities will be fully accessible. “From a human-centred design perspective, accessibility for people with disabilities was fully considered,” Li noted, listing ramps, accessible toilets, classroom seating, parking and accessibility signs.

During a tour of the facility in June, minister of training and tertiary education Sandra Husbands described the initiative, along with the new Dukes Agri-Industrial Park, as “a tremendous investment” and “a gift to the people of Barbados by the Chinese”.

(LM)