In light numerous efforts being initiated by the MangoFest Committee to create and enhance awareness of the country’s natural resources, especially the mango and the pineapple; a successful visit was undertaken to the Cades Bay Pineapple farm by a number of students from various schools across Antigua. The school attendance included members of Potters Primary, Golden Grove Primary, Old Road Primary and Urlings Primary.
A detailed tour of the farm included all aspects of planting the different varieties ranging from the Antiguan Black pineapple and other species cultivated locally and the entire necessary steps taken during cultivation. Other facts pertaining to the National fruit was explained to the enthusiastic students who later participated in a question and answer session shortly after the tour of the pineapple plantation. The students were very enthusiastic and eager to partake in this experience. They listened keenly and asked many inquisitive questions and were rewarded with pineapple samples and planting materials to take home.
According to the Chairman of the Mangofest Committee Mr. Caudley George “This exercise had a tremendous effect on the children and their willingness to actively participate in this demonstrate the need for more such visits to the other Agricultural Stations. This visit as part of the Mangofest regular programme will be an ongoing initiative by both Ministry of Tourism & Agriculture to continue forging the links between Tourism, and Agriculture”
In addition the Mango Fest Committee was the delighted recipient of the first runner up position in the Ministry of Tourism’s Staycation expo held last Saturday and Sunday 14th and 15th May at the Multi Purpose Centre Perry Bay.
Staycations 2011 had a new addition in the form of the Mango Festival booth this year. And what an addition it was! The booth was visited by scores of patrons interested in sampling the delicious mangoes and pineapples on display.
To give further encouragement to persons visiting the booth, the Mango Festival Committee also had a raffle in which the winning prize was a basket filled with a variety of mangoes and pineapples. The winners of the raffle were: Ms. Donna Creary and Ms. Sharie Williams, who were able to name the mangoes that were displayed at the booth, and that was no easy task! Especially since there are some twenty-six varieties on island and most persons only seem to know the more popular Kidney, and Julie mangoes. The ladies displayed enough knowledge to win baskets of what was described as “mango loveliness”.
The Mango Festival committee continues to make strides as they host the Pineapple Open Day at Cades Bay on Thursday 19 May from 10am to 12noon. The general public is invited to take a trip out to Cades Bay on that day to learn more about the delicious Antigua Black Pineapple, arguably the sweetest pineapple in the Caribbean!
The 6th Annual Christian Valley Mango Fest was launched on Wednesday under the banner Bigger, Better, more Diverse. As Alciana Tittle explains, the event aims to highlight the move towards furthering the linkages between Tourism and Agriculture.
The stage is set and preparations are well on the way for the fifth staging of the Magic Mango Menu/Pineapple Culinary Competition, slated for tomorrow, 7th August 2010. Chairperson of the Mango Festival Committee Jedidiah Maxime said yesterday that over 20 chefs and 10 bartenders from some of the island’s major hotels have confirmed their participation in this
year’s event. The bartenders will be competing in two categories — alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages,while the chefs will be asked to prepare two entrées featuring mango and pineapple as the basis of their recipes. The chefs will work on a rotation basis with each chef allotted a certain amount of time to complete their dishes.“This is to help promote mango and pineapple as a staple in the cuisine that is being prepared in our local hotels,”Maxime said.
“The level of interest that we have had over the years has definitelyincreased. The interest is there and some of the young chefs have used this platform as an opportunity to launch their careers and get some recognition.” The public is invited to bring out their family to the Antigua & Barbuda Hospitality and Training Institute, located at Dutchman’s Bay, on Saturday from 9 am, for a fair-like day. Free samples of the dishes prepared with mangos and pineapples will also be available.
Local ice cream makers will also form a part of the line-up and a live steel pan orchestra will also be available. A brief ceremony will precede the competition.Sponsors include: Digicel, Photogenesis, Search Antigua, Evcon Printing and School Zone.
This is the most corporate sponsorship the event has ever received and other businesses are being encouraged to support this venture.
