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<span style="font-weight: bold">News Source: OTGNR - </span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : More increases in fo...ter ( RJR )...</span>
Jamaicans could face a hike in food prices.Agriculture Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton says this is based on global changes in the prices of critical commodities such as oil, wheat and corn."We are faced now with a situation where the price of food will go up because of those global adjustments or changes within the market place. We are dependent, still, to a large extent, on some of those critical commodities to feed our population and as a consequence, we can expect to see some of those adjustments and the adverse implications of those adjustments on our consumers," Dr. Tufton said at a press conference Tuesday morning where he gave an update on domestic crop production for October to December quarter.According to Dr. Tufton, there were mixed results in the agricultural sector in the last quarter of 2010.6.7% drop in production of domestic crop He said the figures for the quarter show that the agriculture sector took a battering late last year because of Tropical Storm Nicole.According to Dr. Tufton, over the October to December period, domestic crop production fell by 6.7% over the corresponding period the year before.Farmers produced 18% less fruits and legumes and 4% less vegetables.This was true even for the bread basket parish of St. Elizabeth with Clarendon and Trelawney also under-performing.On the other hand, crops such as yams, dasheen, potatoes, plantains and cassava saw increases.Overall 1% growth in agricultural sector However, despite the losses in the quarter, the overall domestic crop figures for 2010, showed an improvement over 2009."We topped out the year marginally with a 2.2% growth in domestic production but 1% overall. But we are now at an 11 year high in terms of overall domestic output. We have come out a year characterized by the impact of weather patterns in a positive way," said Dr. Tufton. However, all that productivity has comes a glut of certain crops - lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and cabbage.And the ministry's recent effort to deal with the glut, the farmers markets, seemed to have left many upset rather than satisfied. But Dr. Tufton says that will be addressed."We intend to have another (farmers market) this Friday at the Portmore Heart Academy in an attempt to provide an opportunity for consumers to respond and to purchase, at good process, some of those outputs."
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : More increases in fo...ter ( RJR )...</span>
Jamaicans could face a hike in food prices.Agriculture Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton says this is based on global changes in the prices of critical commodities such as oil, wheat and corn."We are faced now with a situation where the price of food will go up because of those global adjustments or changes within the market place. We are dependent, still, to a large extent, on some of those critical commodities to feed our population and as a consequence, we can expect to see some of those adjustments and the adverse implications of those adjustments on our consumers," Dr. Tufton said at a press conference Tuesday morning where he gave an update on domestic crop production for October to December quarter.According to Dr. Tufton, there were mixed results in the agricultural sector in the last quarter of 2010.6.7% drop in production of domestic crop He said the figures for the quarter show that the agriculture sector took a battering late last year because of Tropical Storm Nicole.According to Dr. Tufton, over the October to December period, domestic crop production fell by 6.7% over the corresponding period the year before.Farmers produced 18% less fruits and legumes and 4% less vegetables.This was true even for the bread basket parish of St. Elizabeth with Clarendon and Trelawney also under-performing.On the other hand, crops such as yams, dasheen, potatoes, plantains and cassava saw increases.Overall 1% growth in agricultural sector However, despite the losses in the quarter, the overall domestic crop figures for 2010, showed an improvement over 2009."We topped out the year marginally with a 2.2% growth in domestic production but 1% overall. But we are now at an 11 year high in terms of overall domestic output. We have come out a year characterized by the impact of weather patterns in a positive way," said Dr. Tufton. However, all that productivity has comes a glut of certain crops - lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and cabbage.And the ministry's recent effort to deal with the glut, the farmers markets, seemed to have left many upset rather than satisfied. But Dr. Tufton says that will be addressed."We intend to have another (farmers market) this Friday at the Portmore Heart Academy in an attempt to provide an opportunity for consumers to respond and to purchase, at good process, some of those outputs."