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<span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'">JAMAICA TO CUT FOOD IMPORT BILL BY US$300 MILLION</span> </span>- BER
09-Aug-2012 10:20
KINGSTON, Aug 9 (BERNAMA-NNN-AGENCIES) - Jamaica plans to cut its food
import bill by at least US$300 million through various measures to be
implemented starting this year, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Roger Clarke
says.
Clarke says if farmers produce more and Jamaicans eat more local produce, it
can help to cut the burgeoning food import bill which reached US$1 billion last
year.
He hinted at a review of waivers granted for food imports as one of the
measures that would be explored, news reports said.
Bemoaning Jamaica’s US$1 billion food import bill last year, the minister
said: "We have to do something about it because it is not sustainable. We don’t
have the money to bring in that (amount of food) so we must produce some of it
here."
"We are analysing what we have been importing and we are going to set a
target. We must decrease that importation (bill) by some US$300 million and the
various stakeholders will have to work with us to achieve this.
"Those people who believe that they must get everything (from abroad), the
time has come when they will have to pay because all those waivers (for which
they apply) are going to be ‘waived’."
Arguing that the agricultural sector is still “trying to find its way”
within the context of efforts by successive administrations to ensure the
nation’s food security, Clarke said the campaign to “grow what we eat and eat
what we grow,” has eluded the country for generations.
He said that while all food needs cannot be adequately met, studies have
shown that the country has the capability to substitute 30 percent of food
imports.
Clarke said the emphasis is being placed on increasing production of a
number of crops such as irish potato to reduce imports of the produce and
value-added items, including french fries.
He added that there must be heightened awareness among Jamaicans about the
need to play their part in ensuring the nation's food security by supporting the
local agriculture industry.
-- BERNAMA-NNN-AGENCIES
SS EE
nBER673922
(C) Thomson Reuters 2012. All rights reserved.The Thomson Reuters content received through this service is the intellectual property of Thomson Reuters or its third party suppliers. Neither Thomson Reuters nor its third party suppliers shall be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Thomson Reuters and its logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Thomson Reuters group of companies around the world.
09-Aug-2012 10:20
KINGSTON, Aug 9 (BERNAMA-NNN-AGENCIES) - Jamaica plans to cut its food
import bill by at least US$300 million through various measures to be
implemented starting this year, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Roger Clarke
says.
Clarke says if farmers produce more and Jamaicans eat more local produce, it
can help to cut the burgeoning food import bill which reached US$1 billion last
year.
He hinted at a review of waivers granted for food imports as one of the
measures that would be explored, news reports said.
Bemoaning Jamaica’s US$1 billion food import bill last year, the minister
said: "We have to do something about it because it is not sustainable. We don’t
have the money to bring in that (amount of food) so we must produce some of it
here."
"We are analysing what we have been importing and we are going to set a
target. We must decrease that importation (bill) by some US$300 million and the
various stakeholders will have to work with us to achieve this.
"Those people who believe that they must get everything (from abroad), the
time has come when they will have to pay because all those waivers (for which
they apply) are going to be ‘waived’."
Arguing that the agricultural sector is still “trying to find its way”
within the context of efforts by successive administrations to ensure the
nation’s food security, Clarke said the campaign to “grow what we eat and eat
what we grow,” has eluded the country for generations.
He said that while all food needs cannot be adequately met, studies have
shown that the country has the capability to substitute 30 percent of food
imports.
Clarke said the emphasis is being placed on increasing production of a
number of crops such as irish potato to reduce imports of the produce and
value-added items, including french fries.
He added that there must be heightened awareness among Jamaicans about the
need to play their part in ensuring the nation's food security by supporting the
local agriculture industry.
-- BERNAMA-NNN-AGENCIES
SS EE
nBER673922
(C) Thomson Reuters 2012. All rights reserved.The Thomson Reuters content received through this service is the intellectual property of Thomson Reuters or its third party suppliers. Neither Thomson Reuters nor its third party suppliers shall be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Thomson Reuters and its logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Thomson Reuters group of companies around the world.
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