Jamaica targets breadfruit and cassava for flour
Jamaica will be launching a wheat flour substitution programme to combat the global shortage of the commodity and promote healthier eating among Jamaicans.
Pearnel Charles Jr, minister of agriculture and fisheries, in making the disclosure, said: “With the support of the government of Cuba, [we will be] targeting breadfruit and cassava to create glutenfree flour as a healthy alternative to wheat.”
The global wheat shortage has resulted from several factors, including the Russia/Ukraine crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of climate change.
The minister also noted that a significant number of Jamaicans are facing various health challenges, with data indicating that 25 per cent of the population is suffering from at least one chronic disease.
Obesity among adults has also increased, and between the years 2010 and 2017, obesity among children has doubled.
“It urges us and so we will be updating the food and nutrition security policy to boost the consumption of locally grown nutritious foods,” Charles Jr said.
He was speaking at the handover ceremony for the ‘Jamaica Food Systems Profile’ by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Changes are under way for the JCF’s Criminal Records Office (CRO), according to Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson during his monthly press briefing at his Headquarters yesterday.
“Over the last few weeks, we have been reviewing our processes at our Criminal Records Office located at 56 Duke Street and our three sub sites located in May Pen, Clarendon, Pompano Bay in St Mary and Summit in St James,” said the JCF head. He continued, “This is part of our ongoing modernisation effort to improve the quality of our service delivery.”
As the demand for the police records and other services offered by the CRO increases, with the influx of BPO jobs and international agencies requesting documents produced by the CRO as part of their recruitment process, the commissioner said this crucial service will be revamped as the JCF continues on its path of transformation.
“This directly impacts the economy, national development and a number of sectors that depend on this service for recruitment,” said Commissioner Anderson.
Last year, the CRO produced more than 135,000 certificates for customers both locally and overseas, and so far this year it has generated approximately 88,000 certificates.