Agriculture minister calls for increased use of bananas in school meals

Hon Audley Shaw (2nd right), Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries,  poses with a bag of bananas received from Jeffrey Hall (right), Chief Executive Officer, Jamaica Producers Group, along with (from left) Tara Goulbourne, Commercial Manager  JP Tropical Foods Ltd; State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth & Information Hon Floyd Green,  and Minister of Health Dr. the Hon Christopher Tufton, at the Launch of the St. Mary’s Heritage Project in Annotto Bay on December 14, 2018. Under the project, one million pounds of green banana will be sold annually to all public schools at $5 per pound to be included in the meals provided for the children.

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon Audley Shaw, is calling on school administrators to embrace the opportunity to increase their use of bananas in the preparation of meals for students, which will provide more nutritious food for our children as well as reduce the country’s high import bill.

Stating that “80% of what our children eat is imported “, Min Shaw commended the Jamaica Producers Group (JP) for its initiative and enterprise in making one million pounds of green bananas available annually to public schools islandwide at a reduced price of $5 per pound.

Minister Shaw was speaking at the launch of the St. Mary’s Heritage Project and Farm Tour on December 14 in St. Mary. The project is part of JP’s 90th anniversary celebrations and is aimed at protecting the most vulnerable children against illnesses as well as bolstering children’s learning

“Get used to banana porridge, get used to banana bread, banana muffins,” urged Minister Shaw while noting that the project was very meaningful for Jamaica as it will serve as an inspiration to every small farmer.

“We will have to work on a systematic basis to improve productivity,” Shaw stated as he encouraged farmers to increase their production.  The agriculture minister said, further, that whatever cannot be eaten fresh should be processed into value-added products.

Identifying Jamaica’s greatest crisis as that of human underdevelopment, part of which is the lack of proper nutrition of our children resulting in a high dropout rate from schools, Minister Shaw called on everyone to help rescue the children.

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