Huge Turnout for Agriculture Ministry’s Food Safety Expo

A large crowd turned up at the Ministry of Agriculture’s Hope Gardens headquarters in Kingston this morning (Sept. 29) for the one-day exposition highlighting the country’s food safety and food security system.

Over a dozen booths were on display, showcasing the Ministry’s various initiatives, projects and services, including its state of the art export facilities.

The large turnout of supporters, which included students, were given the chance to learn about the Ministry’s food security and food safety systems as well as achievements in the areas of plant research and animal husbandry.

There were live demonstrations of forest management and irrigation systems; sampling of products such as bammies, cassava pancake mix, local fruit-flavoured pancake syrups, jams, chips, sauces, spices; displays of Nubian and Boer goats, purebred pigs and various variety of fishes.

Minister of Agriculture, Roger Clarke, who officially opened the event, said it was put on to attract and accommodate both the young and old, who all had a part to play in the future of agriculture in Jamaica.

In addition, he explained that the event served to highlight the Ministry’s role in the economic advancement of the country.

“Together, we are going to build a great country; the Ministry of Agriculture will continue to play its part in the economic advancement of Jamaica,” Minister Clarke noted.

The Forestry Department, the Plant Quarantine Division, the National Screwworm Eradication Programme, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), the Coffee Industry Board (CIB), and the Fisheries Division were some of the groups on hand to present live displays.