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<p>Cue the popular dancehall hit "<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Breadfruit (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGdtxQM8TuI" target="_blank">Breadfruit</a>" by entertainer Chi Ching Ching, as Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Audley Shaw hails a new publication on the popular Jamaican staple.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/Breadfruit-Chi-Ching-Ching-Jamaica-Buzz-Caribbean-1024x560.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8383" /><figcaption>A clip from the video Breadfruit (Roast or Fry)</figcaption></figure>
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<p>The publication, <strong>‘Breadfruit Germplasm Collection’</strong> was written by Professor Laura B. Roberts-Nkrumah of the Faculty of Food and Agriculture at the University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine Campus.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/Breadfruit-Buzz-Caribbean-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8375" /></figure>
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<p>The publication is being viewed as a useful resource in increasing production of the tree crop as Jamaica looks to further reduce its food-import bill.</p>
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<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/Book-Cover-Breadfruit-Germplasm.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8381" /></figure></div>
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<p>It highlights the diverse characteristics of breadfruit and select cultivars, and is a valuable resource for Ministries of Agriculture in the tropics, agricultural-related organisations and institutions and individuals.</p>
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<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>"It is pretty ironic that breadfruit was...introduced in Jamaica...against the background of a shortage of imported foodstuff"</p><cite>— Hon. Audley Shaw, Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries</cite></blockquote>
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<p>Minister Shaw noted that some 226 years ago after Captain Bligh brought breadfruit to the islands, information of the tree crop remains sparse, contributing to it being an underutilised crop.</p>
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<p> “It is pretty ironic that breadfruit was, in fact, first introduced in Jamaica and the Caribbean against the background of a shortage of imported foodstuff, as well as the shortage of locally grown food crops, as a result of the impact of both hurricanes and droughts, which destroyed those crops,” he noted.</p>
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<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p> "Nutritionally, breadfruit is now being classified as a superfood"</p><cite>— Hon. Audley Shaw, Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries</cite></blockquote>
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<p>“The breadfruit was introduced as a staple, but was not embraced by the population. These days, we face somewhat similar issues of a high food-import bill and, of course, the negative impact of drought and hurricanes on our food supply,” Mr Shaw added.</p>
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<p>He noted that the breadfruit and other locally grown tree crops are part of the solution to these perennial challenges.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/breadfruit-halved-Jamaica-Buzz-Caribbean-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8414" /></figure>
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<p>“What this publication does for us is to legitimise the growing recognition of the value and vast potential of the breadfruit. Nutritionally, breadfruit is now being classified as a superfood, and as outlined in the introduction to this publication, it is a source of nutrients ranging from protein, essential amino acids, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins and minerals,” Mr. Shaw said.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/roasting-breadfruit-Jamaica-Buzz-Caribbean.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8415" /><figcaption>Roasting is one of the most popular methods of preparing breadfruit in Jamaica</figcaption></figure>
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<p>Meanwhile, Professor Roberts-Nkrumah noted that the book is a basic tool “that we must have if we are going to embark on any annual (breadfruit) industry”. </p>
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<p>For further information on the book, persons
can contact the UWI Press at (876) 977-2659, 702-4081/2 or email <strong><a href="mailto:donna.muirhead@uwimona.edu.jm">donna.muirhead@uwimona.edu.jm</a></strong>.</p>
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