“Eat Jamaican” campaign mascot Doctor Bird to visit Farmers’ Markets in St. Andrew and St. Catherine this Friday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, March 17, 2011

“Eat Jamaican” campaign mascot Doctor Bird to visit Farmers’ Markets in St. Andrew and St. Catherine this Friday

KINGSTON; Jamaica: The beloved mascot of the “Eat Jamaican” campaign, Doctor Bird, will be on location at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries’ Farmers’ Markets in Kingston and St. Catherine tomorrow, Friday, March 18.

Doctor Bird will be handing out leaflets with helpful hints on backyard gardening and sharing facts about the nutritional value of all the local produce that will be on sale at the Farmers’ Markets.

The venues for the Farmers’ Markets are:

1. St. Andrew - Liguanea Plaza, rear car park, entrance on Munroe Road
   
2. St. Catherine – Praise Plaza, Port Henderson Road, between Rapid Sheffield and Petcom Service Station.

 The “Eat Jamaican” campaign was launched at historic Coronation Market on March 1 with the ultimate goal of encouraging Jamaicans to “eat what we grow and grow what we eat” as a way of achieving food security for Jamaica.

The “Eat Jamaican” campaign runs from March 1 to May 31, 2011. It will be promoted and showcased across the island through various events and competitions where Doctor Bird will be on hand to share nutrition facts on our Jamaican foods as we seek to build greater support for Jamaican farmers.

The “Eat Jamaican” campaign is funded by the European Union Food Facility in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

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Contact:

Cecil Thoms, Director, Communication & Public Relations             

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries                                      

T: 927-1872, e-mail: cethoms@moa.gov.jm                         

Akhter Hamid, Project Manager,

EU Food Facility Project, FAO Representation in Jamaica

Tel: 978 2352, e-mail: akhter.hamid@fao.org

Staci Smith, Account Executive

PROComm T:926-6740, e-mail: staci.smith@procomm.com.jm