Jamaicans Encouraged to Start or ‘Spruce Up’ Backyard and School Gardens on Labour Day

With tree planting among the focus areas for this year’s Labour Day activities, Jamaicans are being encouraged to start or ‘spruce up’ backyard and school gardens.

Labour Day will be observed on Tuesday, May 23 under the theme ‘Plant a Tree for Life – Promoting Climate Change Mitigation, Food Security and Road Safety’.

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, who extended the invitation, said the National Labour Day Secretariat at the Ministry will collaborate with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and other agencies of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, to see how best to assist participants with seedlings “to get these gardens up and running”.

She was speaking during a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’, at the Agency’s head office in Kingston.

Ms. Grange also encourages individuals and schools to register their projects with the Secretariat.

“You cannot access all the plants and the seedlings and what is being made available to the public, if you do not register your projects,” she said.

The Minister advised that persons wishing to register their projects may do so digitally by visiting the platform https://jis.gov.jm/jis-pages/labour-day-registration/ being hosted by the JIS, which is also facilitating online registration on its website – www.jis.gov.jm.

“You are encouraged to go on the website and register your projects, so that you can be part of the database that will be used to provide seedlings, to provide plants, to provide other assistance that you may require for Labour Day,” she added.

Minister Grange said the Agriculture Ministry is spearheading the backyard farming, school gardens and planting of fruit trees as part of its ‘Grow Smart, Eat Smart’ campaign, which promotes the consumption of locally produced nutritious foods.