Hugh Martin
I WANT TO THANK the many persons who took the time to send comments on my last week's column, 'The Spice of Life', particularly Jim Webb for the information on the marketing co-operative in Annotto Bay which buys nutmeg and pimento. My farmer friends should be very happy for it.
The comments I get are more often than not very encouraging and even when they are not in agreement with my views they contribute greatly to the discussion.
UNEDITED VIEWS
The one from Cynthia Nembhard I feel compelled to reproduce unedited as she expresses some things I wish I had.
She writes: "I am amazed at the way agriculture has been allowed to die an unnatural death.
"There were days in Jamaica when people would not go hungry. They grew all the food they needed on the land they owned, from fruits, vegetables, roots, spices, chickens, goats, pigs, cows etc. and they did not need to have hundreds of acres either.
"My husband and I make the same observation as you do. We thought the opening up of highways in Jamaica would make the place more accessible and thus encourage more people to live in the country and farm the land. A country needs to be able to feed itself. Instead the highways are used as race tracks and the criminal elements have now migrated to the rural areas. They are the ones taking advantage of our highways.
"We are amazed to see Jamaica importing every fruit, vegetable [and] spice from around the world instead of growing them. When did we get to this stage? We live in Florida and cannot get Scotch Bonnet peppers to buy. Usually they have no flavour if we see them, so we grow them ourselves.
"We were just talking about cocoa and the need for it. Jamaica could not grow enough to supply the need. Africans do not eat ackee and now that they have seen the export market of Jamaica they are going full speed ahead along with Mexico to take advantage of it, while some of the greedy, selfish exporters in Jamaica will likely lose the market. Add turmeric, aloe-vera, (you should see the price of one leaf of aloe) avocado, to the list.
"But our concern is; where are all the furniture manufacturers in Jamaica? Here is an industry to teach skills and to create immediate employment. Do Jamaicans realise how much furniture could be exported? When you put the Jamaican-made mahogany furniture up against the rest, there is no comparison. Where are all the great craftsmen? Why are we not taking advantage?
"It is great to see a woman as the next Prime Minister. Encourage her to have a meeting of the minds and have a wide cross-section of Jamaicans brain-storm and come up with creative ideas to move Jamaica forward."
Thanks, Mrs. Nembhard. You can share your thoughts with us any time you feel moved to do so. I am sure Prime Minister-designate Portia Simpson Miller will hear your suggestion and implement it.
UNITED APPROACH
Indeed, one gets the impression that that is the sort of participatory approach to governance we are likely to see from the goodly lady.
It is perhaps the best chance we have of achieving the unity we so desperately need and she more than anyone else, with the goodwill from both sides of the fence, has the opportunity to pull it off. When the people are united, the creative energies will be released to exploit the enormous potential of this country to be the greatest little place on earth.
Hugh Martin is a communication consultant and farm broadcaster who can be reached at humar@cwjamaica.com.
