Scores collect vegetable, fruit seeds from Agri ministry to start kitchen garden

Scores of people on Tuesday showed up at the Ministry of Agriculture to collect vegetable and fruit seeds and seedlings.

The distribution drive, which is part of the Ministry of Agriculture’s activities to observe Agriculture Month, started at 13:00 hrs at the Ministry’s Regent Street location. The seeds of celery, ochro, watermelon, lettuce and sweet peppers, along with seedlings for coconut, cherries, five finger and guava were handed out.

The recipients of the seeds and seedlings told the News Room they plan to start or expand their kitchen gardens to cut down on the cost of living.

A recipient, Miss Moore, said she intended to buy plants from sellers on the road but her colleagues advised her to collect the plants from the Ministry’s drive. She said she is happy the Ministry embarked on this activity which will help persons to participate in home gardening.

“I’m really happy because I was about to buy some plants along the road way, I have a very large space and I like fruits and so on. My children are grateful too because they like fruits…I thank the Minister for this project that he put out here so that he could help us to do a bit more farming,” Moore said.

Meanwhile, Diane Bradford who has a kitchen garden, collected a cherry seedling which she said she always wanted.

“I intend to plant it and get some cherries… I will use it for home purposes, in the kitchen. The kitchen always needs something so it would come in useful. I was always longing to have a cherry plant,” she said.

Another recipient, Monica, said she bought the celery plants and started her own kitchen garden because of the rising costs of vegetables in the market. She now intends to expand her garden with the seeds she collected on Tuesday.

“I come to get my seeds so I could set my seeds. I have pots on my back verandah. I’m not buying because I bought three plants at the market and I set them so when I need celery I just go to my verandah and cut two or three. So now I will be able to plant more. I don’t have to buy.”

The plants were distributed free of cost with every person in attendance walking away with at least one small packet of seeds or a seedling.