..how true is dis statement? "Ja not big enough"..

[X]

by my friend and colleage dr. Bruce?

<span style="font-style: italic">&quot;The Jamaican market alone is not big enough to support the farmers of Jamaica if they decide to produce. We cannot eat as much food as they can produce,&quot;</span>


IMHO this is a ridiculous statement. Maybe if the govt cut off some of these large well connected importers of foreign fruits and vegatables (connections fostered during the leadership of our now cronicly-amnesic Oposition) , then local farmers can get a break.
How can you tell people to grow food to compete in the international market when we cant even survive against the same foreign competition when they come on our own soil??

Bruce, Bruce , Bruce **kisteeth**shakehead**

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz1TtMVaqS1

[johnnycakes]

Re: ..how true is dis statement? &quot;Ja not big enough&quot;..

The size of the Jamaican market has nothing to do with the problem of farmers not being able to survive by farming.

It has everything to do with globalization .

Big agribusiness farms in the U.S can produce (for instance) chickens and carrots cheaper including shipping to Jamaica than can small Jamaican farmers.

I just wish that Jamaican farmers could ship some decent RIPE Jamaican mangoes, star apples, nezeberry, papaya, breadfruit (fi ros) to the States.

We can't grow them here and what they sell in the markets is often inedible for those of us who know what GOOD tropical produce is like.

Yes there are problems in transporting things that are ripe one day and rotten in too few days after that but I rarely see anything from Jamaica in Boston area markets and it would seem that the Jamaican government isn't doing enough to promote co-ops and get itself involved in organizing a system of rapid shipping of the wonderful things Jamaica grows in abundance.

I realize I am far from the expert on such matters and the problems inherent in attempting these things but I wish it could happen.

[X]

Re: ..how true is dis statement? &quot;Ja not big enough&quot;..

true..

so its more complex than just say to farmers, &quot;grow food and export..&quot;
for example, mi buy green banana yesterday fi cook with some Mackerel run dung, this morning its already ripening.. forget the green banana, fullup the pot with some Prince Edwards Island golden potates

[jah_yout]

Re: ..how true is dis statement? &quot;Ja not big enough&quot;..

it's all politics;

imagine jamaica importing banana...

it's all about 'globalization' to decide who will eat &amp; who will starve...
someday the true genius of marcus garvey will be realized...we are not there yet

[Derek]

Re: ..how true is dis statement? &quot;Ja not big enough&quot;..

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: johnnycakes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The size of the Jamaican market has nothing to do with the problem of farmers not being able to survive by farming.

It has everything to do with globalization .

Big agribusiness farms in the U.S can produce (for instance) chickens and carrots cheaper including shipping to Jamaica than can small Jamaican farmers. </div></div>

Unfortunately, you are spot on.

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: ..how true is dis statement? &quot;Ja not big enough&quot;..

Is it about politics or ignorance about the subject?
Banana is a fragile plant That are destroyed by winds above fifty MPH.
When Jamaica was primarily an exporter without any industry based on banana All use to happen when wind storm destroyed the industry regularly was loss of foreign markets.
Today There is a local value added industry with demand for export.
So the demand requires importation of bananas or moving the plants to countries that have bananas.
Incidentally if agriculture is as developed as potentially possible the local demand could not support it.
But That is my opinion based on comparison with agricultural production in progressive countries.

That of course does not count in dome discussions. . <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jah_yout</div><div class="ubbcode-body">it's all politics;

imagine jamaica importing banana...

it's all about 'globalization' to decide who will eat &amp; who will starve...
someday the true genius of marcus garvey will be realized...we are not there ye </div></div>

[X]

Re: ..how true is dis statement? &quot;Ja not big enough&quot;..

interesting points.
would it be worth while for Jamaica farmers to be encouraged to seek to produce the value-added end products instead of just the fruits and vegetables?

For example, how about adding a extraction lab and packaging to the farm to extract the essence from herbs and say export the bottled essence?
How about exporting dried fruits and vegatables? Dried-mangoes, tomatoes, peppers, etc..

there is obvious cost to this, but at least now you dealing with a less perishable , more valuable export.

[johnnycakes]

Re: ..how true is dis statement? &quot;Ja not big enough&quot;..

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: pleXxed</div><div class="ubbcode-body">interesting points.
would it be worth while for Jamaica farmers to be encouraged to seek to produce the value-added end products instead of just the fruits and vegetables?

For example, how about adding a extraction lab and packaging to the farm to extract the essence from herbs and say export the bottled essence?
How about exporting dried fruits and vegatables? Dried-mangoes, tomatoes, peppers, etc..

there is obvious cost to this, but at least now you dealing with a less perishable , more valuable export.

</div></div>


pleXxed,

Excellent thinking.
Why haven't the responsible government agencies been pursuing these rather low cost ventures ?

Dehydrated fruits are becoming higher demand items at the market I shop at and the tropical items like banana, mango, pineapple, papaya/pawpaw and maybe even nezeberry would seem an ideal export items. I think they already make plantain chips/crisps.

Fruits that are dead ripe and in surplus and which otherwise would be wasted could be dehydrated with the at least partial use of solar heat both of which Jamaica has in abundance.

[X]

Re: ..how true is dis statement? &quot;Ja not big enough&quot;..

useeit jc..

it would be a good day when the leadership gets that for Jamaica to succeed in this shrinking global economy, they need to graduate from the 1970s way of thinking..

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: ..how true is dis statement? &quot;Ja not big enough&quot;..

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: pleXxed</div><div class="ubbcode-body">true..

so its more complex than just say to farmers, &quot;grow food and export..&quot;
for example, mi buy green banana yesterday fi cook with some Mackerel run dung, this morning its already ripening.. forget the green banana, fullup the pot with some Prince Edwards Island golden potates

</div></div>
the Jamaican government have been doing Do for years.
TING soft drinks was developed by the Jamaican government.
The scientific Research Council up hope garden has a lot of products it has developed over the years.
the government simply does not follow through with system to create entrepreneurs to bring them to market.
it relies on the business sector.
which like all patriarchal business sectors have no interest in involvement in anything new.
they will manufacture products under license like ocean spray cranberry juice.
while they could use the Jamaican sorrel which has much more of the benefits the cranberry has.
the reason is they take the easy way.
They love screwdriver manufacturing process.