Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth & Sports

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Some 35,000 fruit tree seedlings are available for Labour Day projects from nurseries operated by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Provided by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), the seedlings will be distributed to Community Based Organisations (CBOs) by the Social Development Commission (SDC) in time for Labour Day projects.

Speaking with JIS News, Director of Community Development Planning and Programmes, Dwayne Vernon, confirmed that regional offices of the SDC have begun to receive seedlings from RADA and will begin issuing tomorrow (May 21) to CBOs including citizen's associations, which will determine how they are distributed to householders.

He explained that the travelling has taken a toll on some of the seedlings and as such, time is needed to restore the plants before they are distributed.

CBOs are being encouraged to check with the regional and parish offices of the SDC to obtain seedlings, which will be issued on a first come, first served basis," said Director, Production, Marketing, and Special Projects at RADA, Winston Simpson. He told JIS News that the SDC will be checking to ensure that the projects are registered.

He said that RADA was "committed to making all the seedlings available to the SDC in time for them to be distributed to the community-based organisations for their Labour Day projects," indicating that only a few seedlings were left to be distributed to the SDC.

The seedlings were produced at two large government nurseries at Orange River in St. Mary, and at Bodles, St. Catherine and consist of: ackee - 21, 490; jackfruit - 760; dwarf juneplum - 500; otaheiti apple - 1500; cherry - 2,300; custard apple - 200; sweet sop - 600; guinep - 300; star apple - 2,200; guava - 2,300; grape - 250; lychee - 300; mango - 300; naseberry - 1,000; and pomegranate - 1,000.

Mr. Simpson informed that brochures have been prepared to assist persons to care for the plants, and encourage adherence to the theme for Labour Day: "Eat what we grow.grow what we eat."

In the meantime, Mr. Vernon noted that as the primary agent for community development, the SDC would be directly involved in mobilizing communities to support their Labour Day parish projects and other local projects.

He pointed out that the SDC Portland Regional office would be integral to the national project at Buff Bay High and Tranquillity Primary schools where a nursery would be established and fruit trees planted, respectively.

Mr. Vernon also said that the St. Catherine Regional office of SDC would be cultivating a vegetable garden at its office as part of the organisation's commitment to the Labour Day theme.

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