The Ministry of Agriculture will host a Seminar on the Production and Marketing of Breadfruit tomorrow.
The Ministry said the event is being held in keeping with objective of the Agri-Export Strategy Initiative, to increase agricultural growth through expansion in exports, and in support of the North Leeward Breadfruit Festival.
The forum will be convened at the Rose Hall Community Centre, and will be addressed by Minister of Agriculture, Saboto Caesar and Chief Agricultural Officer Ashley Caine.
The Ministry said two visiting Technical Experts will make presentations at the seminar:
Dr. Laura Roberts-Nkrumah, Senior Lecturer at the University of the West Indies (UWI) and Chair of the Caribbean Breadfruit Network, who will present on Commercial production systems to maximize profits.
And…..Dr. Nyree Zerega of the Chicago Botanic Gardens and Northwestern University, who will speak on the Phylo-genetics of Breadfruit.
Other presentations will be made on issues such as: breadfruit nutrition, harvest and post-harvest management of breadfruit, the Economics of Breadfruit production and marketing breadfruit and alternative livelihoods, including Breadfruit Flour Production, agro-tourism and craft.
The day’s proceedings will conclude with a group discussion, which is aimed at increasing employment and income associated with commercial production, breadfruit flour and products and breadfruit related tourism activities in the North Leeward community.
Farmers, marketers, crafts men and women, food producers, youth and students are all invited to attend the session and to seek out opportunities to create new products, employment and incomes as the Ministry promotes the concept of earning at least one dollar per square foot of farm land.
The North Leeward Tourism Authority will host the Breadfruit exhibition and festival on Saturday 19th August at Mission Corner, Chateaubelair commencing at 10:00 a.m.
