Vanuatu Daily Post, By Len Garae Dec 11, 2014
Former Second Secretary to the Head of State, Jeannot Sese, has challenged MPs to table a bill in parliament promoting fresh local farm produce and not white rice, to be cooked in all takeaway shops and restaurants throughout the country.
He says buying white rice and noodles help to drain the country’s national wealth as well as contribute to the present sick state of the country’s population.
He says the country’s manpower is going to drop due to increasing deaths and amputations of limbs caused by non communicable diseases.
Vanuatu ranks high in the world as an NCD infested country.
Budley Vanva is a taxi driver who used to live in Australia says one of the main reasons for Government public servants and politicians to travel abroad is to learn positive aspects of development in neighbouring countries and strive to adopt them at home to improve the country’s own shortfalls.
“It is not about getting fat allowances for the trips only to return home and forget about what they have seen and learned abroad,” he says.
He says in Fiji, it is law for all takeaway shops and restaurants to serve local produce and meats in all their outlets.
“This also explains why manioc and curried chicken is a very popular dish in their takeaway shops,” he says.
Sese who is now in Luganville adds, “I have just bought a plate of food from the takeaway stall next to the market house and they serve white rice and chicken wings with no thought of adding local foods and greens at all.
“This cannot be allowed to continue as the cooks operate at the market and they have to start serving local foods because I know there is an increasing local market for local foods”.
Sese says thoughtful women are selling fresh laplap at La Plage and people rush to buy theirs but there is none left. “It proves that consumers want to change direction but the cooks have to take the lead by serving them with local foods,” he says.
