Highgate, St Mary:

The initial concept of commercialising breadfruit production bore fruit last Wednesday when the closing ceremony for the first leg of Northern Caribbean University's (NCU) Breadfruit Commercialisation Project was held at the Ministry of Agriculture's Orange River Research Station in Highgate, St Mary.

Dr Vincent Wright, chairman of the Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Allied Health Sciences at NCU outlined some benefits that should be achieved from the project.

"We are hoping that this project will impact positively on our food security. Persons who are health conscious will want to consume more breadfruit as it is high in fibre and fortified with minerals and vitamins and has 0 per cent cholesterol."

Partially sponsored

The project was partially sponsored by the Environmental Founda-tion of Jamaica, College of Agricul-ture Science and Education the Ministry of Agriculture and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority.

Research data collected so far from this project, which is to be shared with farmers, looked into the suitability of the soil type, climactic conditions, planting distances, the canopy of the plant, rooting distance, fertiliser treatment, growth rate of the plant, soil conservation and the prevention of watershed degradation, and the potential of yields.

- Contributed

SLIGOVILLE, ST CATHERINE:

Several institutions praised the Sligoville All-Age School in St Catherine for its attempt at improving food security and self empowerment during the launch of a poultry slaughterhouse on the school compound on Thursday.

The United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) was instrumental in the development of the project with a US $10,000 grant, which was complemented by community spirit and hard work.

Pleased

According to Dr Gillian Smith, director of the FAO project, when the group was contacted it was very pleased to lend its assistance to the vision of the school.

The facilities includes a coop with the capacity to house 500 chickens and a slaughterhouse.

The latter is equipped with cones and other equipment for the killing and picking of the birds. There is also a cooler and deep freeze facility for storage.

According to Beverley Drum-mond, principal, several of the 160 students have already been trained to deal with poultry.

- Rasbert Turner

DISCOVERY BAY, ST ANN:

St Ann Jamaica Bauxite Partners have provided the Discovery Bay Basic School with a chain-link fence.

The addition is expected to provide much needed protection for the 100 students who attend the institution.

Principal of the school, Arlene Mills, had high praises for the prompt response from the bauxite company after the request for assistance.

"This is one very fine example of good corporate citizenship and I know that our children, parents and teachers will all benefit and be more secure as a result of this excellent gesture," she said.

- Contributed

NAIN, ST ELIZABETH:

The Alpart Community Council has secured a market for its 2008 mango crop produced in Nain.

According to the institution, they will now be working with the Jamaica Exotic Flavours & Essences (JEFE) fruit processing factory in Bull Savannah, St Elizabeth.

Several thousand pounds of mangoes are now being delivered to the factory from the Council's orchards at Baalbec, Nain, for processing into puree and essence for export and local consumption.

Speaking in an interview with The Gleaner, managing director of JEFE, Anthony Freckleton, said the company had reached an agreement with the Alpart Community Council to buy the fruit which would be processed at the factory.

When contacted for a comment, public relations manager of Alpart, Lance Neita, said that the council was reaping the mangoes from a 54-acre fruit tree orchard leased to the community organisation by the alumina company.

He said that what was important was the level of participation by the community.

The sale marks one of the first major steps taken by the council and Alpart to strengthen the ability of local communities to develop income and employment projects.

- Rayon Dyer

SPALDINGS, CLARENDON:

One hundred and seventy-two graduates from the Spaldings High School in Clarendon were told by Finance Minister Audley Shaw that there were numerous opportunities available to them for career options after leaving school.

Shaw, while bringing greetings at the school's graduation exercise on Thursday, told the graduates that currently, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), the Jamaica Defence Force and the health sector are short of personnel.

He told the graduates that opportunities were available for tertiary level education in teaching, nursing, the police force and the army.

The Finance Minister said that at the moment there was need for an increase in the number of personnel in the police force; and that Government had made a decision that there needed to be at least an additional 7,000 police officers in the JCF, in order to deal with our national security concerns.