Olivia Grange (centre), minister of information, culture, youth and sports, and Dr Christopher Tufton (left), minister of agriculture, admire a basket of local fruits and vegetables yesterday after the Workers' Week and Labour Day 2008 thanksgiving service at the Boulevard Baptist Church in St Andrew. The Rev Peter Garth (right), president of the Jamaica Association of Evangelicals, Tashay Myers, Mini Miss Jamaica 2008, and Norman Grant, president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, also show keen interest. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

In the face of soaring fuel prices and increased concern over food security, Jamaicans are being urged to plant vegetable crops as part of their Labour Day projects this Friday.

Olivia Grange, minister of infor-mation, culture, youth and sports, said this year's activities would be focused on "the common and necessary cause of food security".

Her comments came yesterday during a thanksgiving service in recognition of 'Workers' Week' and Labour Day 2008, held at the Boulevard Baptist Church on Washington Boulevard, St Andrew.

With the current high prices and generally unstable food supply now affecting Jamaica, the minister said planting backyard gardens would help individuals supplement their diet.

Vegetable seeds

The Rural Agricultural Develop-ment Authority (RADA) has decided to distribute some 200,000 packets of vegetable seeds to schools islandwide for planting. Members of the congregation were yesterday also given packets containing vegetable seeds, such as tomato and lettuce, to establish their own backyard gardens.

She said individuals living in urban communities affected by insufficient land space should instead look towards container gardening.

"Convert old drums into con-tainer gardens, planting vegetables like sweet peppers and tomatoes for your own use," she said.

"Let us get our children and young people involved so they can experience the joy of watching a seed that they have planted grow."

Grange said adults should also encourage youth to consider agricultural pursuits from an early age to ensure food security for years to come.

"This Labour Day, we want our schools to become involved in establishing school gardens, nurseries and greenhouses. As adults, let us work side by side with our children and help them to invest their energy and drive in laying a foundation for a pros-perous country," said Grange.