Eat Jamaican Campaign Ends with Grand Road Show

KINGSTON — The national 'Eat Jamaican' campaign, aimed at increasing local production and encouraging consumers to make healthy choices by consuming local produce, culminated on May 25 with a grand road show at the Portmore Heart Academy, in St. Catherine.

The $17.2 million, three-month campaign, staged under the theme: ‘Eat what we grow, grow what we eat’, included the staging of eight other road shows across the island which featured live performances, cooking demonstrations, taste testing and exhibits from private sector companies.

Delivering the closing address, which coincided with the Portmore Farmers’ Market, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton,  cited the reasons why Jamaicans  should  support local  farmers.

“It benefits us in a number of ways…it keeps our farmers and farm families busy, primarily in rural Jamaica. If it weren’t for  you as consumers supporting  our farmers, then they wouldn’t have anything to sell, and they would be out of business,” the Minister argued.

He said that with over 200,000 farmers in Jamaica, many persons depend on agriculture to survive, noting that if they did not have agriculture, they perhaps would not have anything to do and no means of livelihood.

“So, when you buy a pound of carrots, or a dozen oranges or a hand of bananas, it’s not just about you, it’s about those you are supporting by purchasing what they grow, and you are not just supporting the farmer, you are supporting the farmer’s family,”  Dr. Tufton noted.

The Minister  said that rather than buying imported produce, and supporting farmers from other countries, “we must support our people first." 

“When you eat local, you are eating fresh and healthier. All the produce that our farmers grow, chances are it will reach you in the marketplace much quicker than the produce that is grown in other countries,” he contended.

Meanwhile, the FAO Representative in Jamaica, Bahamas and Belize, Dr. Jerome Thomas, said the organisation was very pleased with the ‘Eat Jamaican’ campaign.

“We have (had) the opportunity of working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Rural Agriculture Development Authority (RADA) in promoting this campaign throughout the island, and even though it has come to an end, the promotion will continue for a long time,” he said.

Implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries  and the FAO, the programme was funded  through the European Union (EU)  Food Facility.

By ALECIA SMITH, JIS Reporter