A Delicious Jamaican Journey

"EAT JAMAICAN" at the JIS Think Tank

A few weeks back Jerome Thomas, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative in Jamaica, and Donovan Stanbury, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, were interviewed on the JIS Think Tank. Take a look at some excerpts below:

“Eat Jamaican” Grand Finale joins Farmers’ Market in Portmore this Wednesday

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, May 20, 2011

“Eat Jamaican” Grand Finale joins Farmers’ Market in Portmore this Wednesday

Kingston, Jamaica: May 24, 2011: The National “Eat Jamaican” Road Show joins the monthly Farmer's Market to bring a carnival atmosphere to the Portmore HEART Academy on Wednesday, May 25, starting at 3 p.m. This Grand Finale Road Show will feature the nation's formidable comedic duo of Ity and Fancy Cat, the hilarious campaign mascot Doctor Bird, together with displays, giveaways and nutritional talks.

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton has called for a cooperative response from consumers, saying this is critical for the success of the campaign, which is funded by the European Union. “Our farmers are up to the task of supplying these foods and we can say that with certainty because we have seen your tremendous reaction when we made the direct link between producers and buyers at our innovative Farmers’ markets,” he said.

Visitors to Wednesday’s show can expect to be thoroughly entertained by Ity and Fancy Cat and campaign mascot Doctor Bird who will also be providing nutritional facts on Jamaican foods. The campaign has had the backing of some of Jamaica’s well loved companies such as Jamaica Broilers, GraceKennedy, Tru-Juice and Wisynco and they will be in Portmore with their exciting displays and samples. Patrons will also have the opportunity to win giveaways from National Bakery and Island Grill. 

Representatives from the Rural Agriculture Development Authority (RADA) will also be on hand with food displays, and they will be distributing brochures with helpful tips for backyard gardening in keeping with their slogan, ‘Plant Up Yuh Backyard’.

Since March, the “Eat Jamaican” campaign has been travelling across the island promoting the campaign theme, “Grow what we eat, eat what we grow” in urban centres such as Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, May Pen, Lucea, Falmouth and Port Maria.

The campaign has also collaborated with the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) at the Regional Culinary Festival where the “Eat Jamaican” Recipe and Sing-Off Competitions was introduced. Participants to the competitions were awarded plaques, cash and gift baskets for the most creative recipes with Jamaican foods and the best folk song about Jamaican foods.

Six of Jamaica’s top Olympic Stars have endorsed the campaign: Melaine Walker, Brigitte Foster-Hylton, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Asafa Powell, Nesta Carter and Michael Frater. They have supported Eat Jamaican events and are featured on bus shelters across the island.    

The 3-month long campaign has been urging Jamaicans to increase local production and encouraging consumers to make healthy choices by putting local produce, fruits and vegetables on their plates. The campaign has been implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and is funded by the European Union Food Facility. 

  
Contact:

Cecil Thoms

Director, Communication & Public Relations

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries

T- 927-1872; E – cethoms@moa.gov.jm

Akhter Hamid

Project Manager

Tel: +1 876 978 2352

Mob: +1 876 322 7284

Email: akhter.hamid@fao.org

Staci Smith & Cleo Walker
PROComm
T 876-926-6740 | M 876-455-1166

M 876-375-9438

Eat Jamaican Campaign steers its way into St. Mary this Friday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

 Eat Jamaican Campaign steers its way into St. Mary this Friday

Kingston, Jamaica: The colourful ‘Eat Jamaican’ Road Show featuring Ity & Fancy Cat, heads to Port Maria on Friday, May 20. The show which will be held at the Hi-Lo car park from 3pm to 5pm is geared at increasing awareness on the campaign theme of “Grow what we eat, eat what we grow.” Following the campaign launch at historic Coronation Market on March 1 successful road shows have been held in Mandeville, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, May Pen, Lucea and Falmouth.

The national "Eat Jamaican" campaign aims at increasing local production and encouraging consumers to make healthy choices by eating local produce, fruits and vegetables. The campaign is being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization and funded by the European Union Food Facility. 

Visitors to the shows will enjoy entertainment from Ity and Fancy Cat and campaign mascot Doctor Bird who will also be providing nutritional facts on Jamaican foods. There will also be displays and samples by Jamaica Broilers, GraceKennedy, and Wisynco as well as giveaways from National Bakery and Island Grill. 

Rural Agriculture Development Authority (RADA) representatives will also be on hand to encourage Jamaicans to ‘Plant Up Yuh Backyard’, and will be distributing brochures with helpful tips for backyard gardening.

The Eat Jamaican campaign has also been supporting the farmers’ markets throughout Jamaica and ‘Doctor Bird’ has been explaining the high nutritional content of such items as sweet potato, which is rich in dietary fibre, vitamin c and is a good source of potassium and iron.

  
Contact:

Cecil Thoms

Director, Communication & Public Relations

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries

T- 927-1872; E – cethoms@moa.gov.jm

Akhter Hamid

Project Manager

Tel: +1 876 978 2352

Mob: +1 876 322 7284

Email: akhter.hamid@fao.org

Staci Smith & Cleo Walker
PROComm
T 876-926-6740 | M 876-455-1166

M 876-375-9438

Agriculture and Comedy come together in a big way

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Agriculture and Comedy come together in a big way

Kingston, Jamaica: Preparations are in high gear for the staging of the ‘Eat Jamaican’ Road Shows in Trelawny and Hanover on Saturday, May 14. The shows to be held in Lucea from 10am to 12noon and at Falmouth Square from 3pm to 5pm are geared at reinforcing the campaign theme of “Grow what we eat, eat what we grow.” Following the campaign launch at historic Coronation Market on March 1 successful road shows have been held in Mandeville, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio and May Pen.

The national "Eat Jamaican" campaign aims at increasing local production and encouraging consumers to make healthy choices by eating local produce, fruits and vegetables.

Jamaica’s famous comedy duo “Ity and Fancy Cat” have been thrilling audiences with their witty routine and humorous endorsement of eating Jamaican. Meanwhile campaign mascot Doctor Bird has been dishing out nutritional facts and whipping up excitement of her own.

Visitors to the shows will enjoy displays and samples by Jamaica Broilers, Trade Winds, GraceKennedy and Wisynco as well as giveaways from National Bakery and Island Grill.  

Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) representatives will also be on hand to encourage Jamaicans to ‘Plant Up Yuh Backyard’, and will be distributing brochures with helpful tips for backyard gardening.

The Eat Jamaican campaign has also been supporting the farmers’ markets throughout Jamaica and ‘Doctor Bird’ has been explaining the high nutritional content of such items as callaloo, which has four times the calcium of broccoli and our ground provisions which are high in fibre, vitamins and minerals.  Since the start of the campaign, there has been an increase in sales at Farmers Markets with last week’s totalling over $17 million.

Six of Jamaica’s top Olympians have endorsed the campaign.  They are Melaine Walker, Brigitte Foster-Hylton, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Asafa Powell, Nesta Carter and Michael Frater.  

 
Contact:

Cecil Thoms

Director, Communication & Public Relations

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries

T- 927-1872; E – cethoms@moa.gov.jm

Akhter Hamid

Project Manager

Tel: +1 876 978 2352

Mob: +1 876 322 7284

Email: akhter.hamid@fao.org

Staci Smith & Cleo Walker
PROComm
T 876-926-6740 | M 876-455-1166

M 876-375-9438

Clips from JCDC Regional Culinary Finals

On Friday, May 6th, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, an Olympic Gold Medallist, was at the JCDC Regional Culinary Finals at the Chinese Benevolent Association in Kingston to support the "Eat Jamaican" Campaign. Below are some excerpts from the event:

FAST, FIT SHELLY-ANN FOR EAT JAMAICAN!

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

10^th MAY 2011

FAST, FIT SHELLY-ANN FOR EAT JAMAICAN!

It’s all in the yam: Dr. Pamella Powell, Special Project Coordinator, JCDC, Dr. Jerome Thomas, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative in Jamaica, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Olympic Gold Medallist, Cassidee Beckford, FAO Project Assistant, and Dr. Mark Panton, Chief Technical Director, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries discuss the virtues of yams and other local produce which were on sale at the JCDC Regional Culinary Finals at the Chinese Benevolent Association in Kingston on Friday, May 6. The “Eat Jamaican” campaign co-hosted the event with the JCDC.

Kingston, Jamaica: Olympic Gold Medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce gave a hearty endorsement of the Eat Jamaican campaign at the JCDC Regional Culinary Finals on Friday May 6. The event was held at the Chinese Benevolent Association in Kingston.  

“I am very proud to be a part of such a great venture, to grow what we eat and eat what we grow,” said Fraser-Pryce. “I encourage all Jamaicans to get on board so we can reduce the amount of foreign produce stocked in our supermarkets and local markets,” she added.

Fraser-Pryce is one of six Olympic champions who have endorsed the "Eat Jamaican" campaign, aimed at increasing local food production and encouraging consumers to make healthy choices by eating local produce, fruits and vegetables. Track stars Brigitte Foster-Hylton, Melaine Walker, Asafa Powell, Michael Frater and Nesta Carter also gave their resounding endorsement at the launch of the campaign at the Coronation Market on March 1.

The "Eat Jamaican" campaign mascot Doctor Bird was present encouraging the audience to participate in the campaign and posing for pictures with the children.

A major highlight of the JCDC event was the "Eat Jamaican" Sing-Off and Recipe Competition. Participants from the Eastern Region competed in the "Eat Jamaican" Sing-Off by performing songs about Jamaican foods before a panel of two judges. Excelsior High School took first place earning a plaque and $5,000. Boy’s Town VTC copped second place, walking away with a gift basket courtesy of National Bakery and $3,000 and Jonathan Grant High School placed third, winning a gift basket courtesy of National Bakery and $2,000.

The very exciting "Eat Jamaican" Recipe Competition was well received. Participating chefs were asked to create an original Jamaican recipe using local produce. The winning chef Diana Blake of St. Thomas, wowed the judges with her sorrel and orange cheese. She was awarded a plaque and $10,000. A gift basket, courtesy of National Bakery, and $5,000 went to second place winner Abigail Richards of Kingston for her plantain cinnamon cheesecake. Another gift basket, courtesy of National Bakery, and $3,000 were awarded to third place winner Andrew Blake of Kingston for his beet and carrot cake. 

The next exciting “Eat Jamaican” Sing-off and Recipe Competitions will be at the JCDC Western Region Culinary Finals in Savanna-La-Mar on Friday, May 27.

The "Eat Jamaican" campaign is a project of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. 

   

Contact:

 

Cecil Thoms

Director, Communication & Public Relations

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries

T- 927-1872; E – cethoms@moa.gov.jm

Akhter Hamid

Project Manager

Tel: +1 876 978 2352

Mob: +1 876 322 7284

Email: akhter.hamid@fao.org

Staci Smith & Cleo Walker
PROComm
T 876-926-6740 | M 876-455-1166

M 876-375-9438