EAT JAMAICAN GOES TO THE GARDEN PARISH

                                                            

                                                                                   

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, April 1 2011

EAT JAMAICAN GOES TO THE GARDEN PARISH

Kingston, Jamaica: The ‘Eat Jamaican’ Road Show will go to Buckfield St Ann, next Wednesday, April 6 at 2 pm to promote its message "Grow what we eat - Eat what we grow".  The national "Eat Jamaican" campaign aims at increasing local production and encouraging consumers to make healthy choices by eating local produce, fruits and vegetables.

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton recently launched the campaign at the Coronation Market, downtown Kingston. PNP Agriculture spokesperson Roger Clarke has expressed his strong support for the campaign, which is funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.  The Minister will be on location at the Show, which will also be addressed by Ms Vinnette Robb, Chairman of the St Ann Parish Council.  North East St Ann MP Ms Shahine Robinson says she is looking forward to being there.

Visitors to the St Ann show will enjoy displays and samples by Jamaica Broilers, Trade Winds and Wisynco as well as giveaways from National Bakery and Island Grill.  They will be treated to a Comedy Corner with the hilarious duo, Ity & Fancy Cat, and tips on nutrition by ‘Doctor Bird’.

RADA (Rural Agricultural Development Agency)  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.

Last Wednesday Manchester residents enjoyed the show at Bronx Taxi Park in Mandeville and expressed their strong support for the campaign.  One elderly resident said she owed her good health to ‘fresh Jamaican food’.  Ity & Fancy Cat brought the house down with their antics and the Best Dressed Chicken challenged Doctor Bird to a dance contest.

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