School breakfast programme being revitalised in St Elizabeth

Over 2,000 acres of farmland on the Holland Estate in St Elizabeth have been identified to grow produce for the school breakfast programme for students which is being revitalised across the parish.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Agriculture, J C Hutchinson, made the announcement during the Eat Jamaican School Tour at Holland Primary School on Friday.

“We have taken all of that [land] out of cane… and small farmers are now planting various types of cash crops there. That is one of the main areas where we are going to be getting most of our food from,” he said.

Hutchinson indicated that the initiative will be piloted at Holland Primary School and subsequently introduced to other institutions.

“ We are going to be assisting in providing local food within the schools for the children. We have seen the benefits. It has been proven that it helps the children in their attendance and also helps them with their grades,” he further stated.

The breakfast programme will also include the provision of nutritious juices derived from locally-grown fruits.

The tour was one of several activities to mark Eat Jamaican Month during November.

It was jointly organised with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority and Jamaica Agricultural Society.

Principal of Holland Primary School, Simone Doctor, told JIS News that between 80 to 120 students at the institution are fed under the breakfast programme daily.

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