Clive Bryan, Gleaner Writer
ANNOTTO BAY, St. Mary:
Plantain production in St. Mary has seen a significant increase with the success of the St. Mary Plantain and Marketing Production Project which has been supplying 275 ñ 500 kilograms of ripe plantains to the market weekly.
The project, which was established five years ago under the European Union (EU) funded Eastern Jamaica Agricultural Support Project (EJASP), consists of some 50 small farmers from St. Thomas, Portland, St. Andrew and St. Mary.
HIGH DEMAND
President of the plantain producers group Althea McFarlane told Farmers Weekly that the fruit, which is now being sold for between $88 -$99 per kg, is sold mainly to supermarkets in the Corporate Area and St. Catherine. Due to the high demand, she said supplies are also sourced from other farmers outside the group.
Mrs. McFarlane said there should be a significant increase in supplies in April and May as most farmers should begin to reap from new fields around that time. The high productivity of the farmers has placed the group among the top 30 per cent of EJASP projects that have been described as viable and financially sustainable. This success is predicated on the strong marketing initiatives undertaken by the project.
Efforts are now under way to have other farmers in Portland and St. Thomas join the group to broaden and increase its productivity to meet existing market demands.
