THE JAMAICA Manufacturers' Association and the Jamaica Agricultural Society are to sign a formal alliance on October 1, under a push to have locals buy and consume Jamaican products.
Senator Norman Grant, president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), said the two bodies needed to work with each other to secure their common interests.
He was speaking at a board of directors meeting of the Jamaica Manufacturers' Association at the JMA headquarters, downtown Kingston, yesterday.
"We will see where we can collaborate in dealing with the challenges that we have," Senator Grant said. "This is to ensure that the required financial and legislative support be given to quickly reposition this economy to start creating jobs."
One immediate result will be JAS support for the JMA 'Buy Jamaican' campaign and JMA support for the JAS 'Eat Jamaican' campaign.
"Collaboration between the JAS and the JMA is the way we have to go," said JMA president Doreen Frankson. "In our association we have a lot of agro-processors who need agricultural produce. We want to collaborate and work with them as they grow what we need."
NO GOV'T SUPPORT YET
The agricultural and manufacturing sectors have not received the level of government support, equal to their importance in creation of employment and wealth in the country, Senator Grant said. With about 7,500 fully paid-up members, some 75,000 members in all and a farmers' base of about 325,000, the JAS could bring substantial numbers to support any joint action.
On Monday the JMA issued a statement urging banks and government institutions to purchase Jamaican products from Jamaican producers. It had emerged the week before that uniforms and printing services were being bought overseas, despite the availability of local suppliers.
"A policy of buy cheapest irrespective of basic national consideration is at best myopic and at worst destructive and demotivational," the JMA statement said.
