Carnegie to undertake workshop on breadfruit

May 01, 2014 News

During the course of this month, the 80-year-old Carnegie School of Home Economics will embark on a workshop aimed at highlighting the benefits of breadfruit. This will be done in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

“We will be hosting it and so, but FAO has come on board and they will be bringing in some international trainers, so that’s a big thing for us,” said Principal of Carnegie, Penelope Harris.

During a recent interview with Kaieteur News, Harris said that the activity is aimed at educating those practicing the culinary arts about the nutritional benefits of breadfruit.

She noted that participants of the upcoming workshop will also have the opportunity to learn and probably experiment with a number of delectable recipes available for this staple food.

Tourism experts believe that local dishes made from breadfruit is a good way to bring out a taste of Guyana, while providing visitors with reasons to return to the land of many waters.

In addition to the usually prepared breadfruit chips and boiled dish, many traditional households are pursuing the making of breadfruit cheese puffs, breadfruit cheese pie, breadfruit pie, breadfruit pudding and breadfruit roll.

“We have the capacity, and there is so much more that we can do with breadfruit, and many other foods that we grow right here in Guyana. We want to let the people know about some of the things that breadfruit is good for, and also understand that we can prepare a wide range of healthy and tasty dishes from these same things.”

Like breadfruit, cassava is another locally grown food from which a wide range of eatables can be made. This includes flours.

During last Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) held at the Guyana International Conference Centre during October 2013, it was established that the Region could be figuratively sitting on a pot of gold.

That’s of course if it moves swiftly to transform the cassava industry, which can become a major income generator.

Participants of the CWA discussions, focusing on the issues of Hunger, Food Insecurity and Malnutrition, were pleasantly informed that cassava has the capacity to earn enough financial resources for turning around investment opportunities for the better in some African countries.

Vassel Stewart of the Caribbean Agriculture Business Association was reported as sharing his view that cassava, if utilized fully, can replace several imports that cost the Caribbean more than $3 billion annually. These include wheat, potatoes and corn.

He had said, “When Columbus came to the Region it is a fact that the Amerindians in Jamaica were already producing and consuming cassava, so why is it taking us almost 400 years to see this as an industry for development?” he queried.

He added, “It’s traditional, it grows well here, and cassava is one of those crops that has the potential to produce a wide range of value added products.”

It was said that one of the major transformative investments lies in the brewing of beer from cassava. Stewart had said that Red Stripe, the beer manufacturing company out of Jamaica, is looking to produce beer from Cassava. He said that such a model is already being used in some African countries.

“The potential for the brewing industry has become one of international focus, in fact, Sam Miller, which is the second largest brewing company in the world, a UK based company, has been producing beer from cassava since 2011. They started in Mozambique, they have moved to Ghana, and they have a plan by 2015 to be producing beer from cassava in six African countries… There is a learning potential, in fact the International Centre for Brewery and Distillery did a lot of work in developing beer from cassava.”

Stewart said that investing in such a venture is not as clear-cut as it sounds, as it will definitely call for a higher level of commitment from governments and the private sector as well.