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Jamaican farmers unreliable, unprofessional - EU official
Elliot Blake
Thursday, June 07, 2007
MANDEVILLE, Manchester - Jamaican farmers have come in for harsh criticism from a representative of the European Union (EU), who says hoteliers in Jamaica are more inclined to seek goods and services from abroad, because local farmers are often unreliable, unprofessional and sometimes fall short of sanitary and quality standards.
"The hotels can't afford to have a problem ... imagine if something happened to one of their guests," Carlo Pettinato, First Secretary and Head of Section for Economics, Trade, Politics and Information, EU Delegation to Jamaica told the Observer recently.
"Some hotels already get (produce) from Jamaica, but they say one month they get produce and another month they don't get enough, and they have problems so the farmers here need to be more professional, reliable and have the necessary quality of health and sanitary standards," he said.
Pettinato's comments followed a meeting to discuss globalisation and its impact on developing countries hosted by the Manchester Chamber of Commerce at the Golf View Hotel.
In his presentation, Pettinato opposed what he said was a popular misconception that globalisation was an "inevitable evil that we have to deal with", and pointed to some benefits of the international integration process.
"...Economic integration does make consumers better off," Pettinato told the meeting. "Globalisation has acted as a powerful force in allowing the better allocation of resources from technology transfer, international specialisation and more competition which puts cost down and productivity up, allowing businesses and consumers a greater choice," he said.
Elliot Blake
Thursday, June 07, 2007
MANDEVILLE, Manchester - Jamaican farmers have come in for harsh criticism from a representative of the European Union (EU), who says hoteliers in Jamaica are more inclined to seek goods and services from abroad, because local farmers are often unreliable, unprofessional and sometimes fall short of sanitary and quality standards.
"The hotels can't afford to have a problem ... imagine if something happened to one of their guests," Carlo Pettinato, First Secretary and Head of Section for Economics, Trade, Politics and Information, EU Delegation to Jamaica told the Observer recently.
"Some hotels already get (produce) from Jamaica, but they say one month they get produce and another month they don't get enough, and they have problems so the farmers here need to be more professional, reliable and have the necessary quality of health and sanitary standards," he said.
Pettinato's comments followed a meeting to discuss globalisation and its impact on developing countries hosted by the Manchester Chamber of Commerce at the Golf View Hotel.
In his presentation, Pettinato opposed what he said was a popular misconception that globalisation was an "inevitable evil that we have to deal with", and pointed to some benefits of the international integration process.
"...Economic integration does make consumers better off," Pettinato told the meeting. "Globalisation has acted as a powerful force in allowing the better allocation of resources from technology transfer, international specialisation and more competition which puts cost down and productivity up, allowing businesses and consumers a greater choice," he said.
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