At least 14 local producers or more are due to participate in the annual Breadfruit and Breadnut Festival, to be held on Emancipation Day (August, 1) at the Anglican Church Annex, with focus on promoting and displaying products made from the two local food crops.
And the organisers are equally excited to be involved in this initiative that has been well received by the public.
One of the coordinators of the event Cecil “Charlo” Charles gave THE VOICE an update on the preparations involved and the wide array of eats and by-products that will be available for purchase and consumption.
He said the organisers chose to stick to last year’s theme, entitled: Breadfruit and Breadnut Festival in Commemoration of Emancipation: “Rekindling Our Consciousness”.
“It’s all about developing that consciousness to make people aware of the various ways that the breadfruit and breadnut can be used and not the usual conventional way that we know,” declared Charles.
With the authorities intent on reducing the country’s food import bill, he said, there is an opportunity to avoid the wastage of fruits and other agricultural crop all over the island.
“Not only with the breadfruit but with mangoes and so on …we can make people aware of these things,” he added.
He explained that for instance, the “ripe breadfruit” can be used to make cakes, pones, pies and various confectionary products like jams and jellies; and also using the “white breadfruit” to ferment into vodka and other alcoholic drinks, smoothies, wines juices, ice-cream and by products such as popsicles and lollipops.
Charles said each producer will display different aspects of the breadfruit and will demonstrate “the various ways that the breadfruit can be used”. He said the breadfruit skin can also be used to make ‘fries’ and ‘chips’, as an option to using Irish potatoes.
The local producers will include the Babonneau Rural Women Cluster, who use the crop to make breadfruit flour, and bread products. There will also be displays of by-products, such as soaps, and other beauty products.
According to the coordinator, the activity is due to run from 10. 00a.m, to 6.00p.m. as an exciting outdoor holiday event.
Added Charles, “With all the local producers at the event …it will be not just a show, but it is really where we could begin to develop small ‘agro industry’ products and so on, so that it can be on display at the supermarkets.”
He noted that, the “forestry arm” within the Ministry of Agriculture has been in collaboration with the organisers, and from last year, they were involved in a project where they provide seedlings “so that persons can now begin to plant, even in their backyards” and can also utilize available land that is not being used.
“So, by doing that you are developing a food crop that you can use and have a supply of the raw ingredients …to do the things that you want with the breadfruit,” said Charles, while requesting public support “to become conscious and develop an awareness of the health benefits that can be derived from the breadfruit, in terms of reducing on diabetes and other ailments.”