Above: Panama Agriculture Minister Oscar Osorio, President Ricardo Martinelli and Dean Michael Vayda (Photo: OP)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Panama has signed a cooperation agreement with the University of Arkansas in the United States that will cover agricultural cooperation.

The agreement was signed by Agriculture Minister Oscar Osorio and Michael Vayda, Dean of the University’s Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.

“The idea is that they receive better training, and that these specialists can, in turn, reproduce this knowledge among Panamanian producers,” Panama President Ricardo Martinelli said.

It will involve cultural and academic exchanges in the areas of outreach and education, including study tours, participation seminars and special academic programmes.

The instrument will also help strengthen Panama’s educational institutions, he said, providing a boost for the staff and technicians who need support in agriculture.

The ceremony was also attended by Minster of the Presidency Roberto Henriquez, US Ambassador to Panama Jonathan Farrar and representatives of the University.