KINGSTON, Jamaica — The entire month of November will be celebrated as Eat Jamaican Month, according to President of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), Norman Grant.

He said that the JAS will be using the opportunity to intensify its promotion of local foods, leading up to the Christmas holidays.

Grant pointed out that the JAS is currently in discussion on a partnership to promote the campaign, with the Tourism Linkages Hub in the Ministry of Tourism.

“The JAS is calling on our consumers to continue to support our over 230,000 farmers, by buying local produce this Christmas and help in the mission to reduce the import bill for food, which declined last crop to under US$900million,” he added.

He also noted that this year’s celebration comes against the background of growth in the domestic crop production at the end of the third quarter of 14 percent, following a 13 percent growth in the second quarter.

The JAS in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, will be celebrating the 13th Anniversary of the ‘Eat Jamaican’ campaign, under the usual theme “Grow What We Eat, Eat What We Grow”. It will be held under the patronage of the Governor General, Sir Patrick Allen.

Balford Henry