Hugh Martin
WHEN THE history of Jamaica's modern banana industry is written Dr. Marshall Hall will emerge as the man who stood between its extinction and its survival. As chief executive officer of the Jamaica Producers Group (Jamaica Banana Producers, when he took the helm) he must be credited with its being among the most successful businesses locally and regionally.
There can be no doubt that in his capacity as chairman of the Banana Export Company, which is responsible for the export marketing of the fruit of all banana growers, he has succeeded in not only maintaining but in improving the quality of the product on the European market.
This has been in a period of stiff competition from the Latin American producers who are determined to capture the lucrative European market.
No one can forget how this competition, which is able to produce at a high quality and at very low costs due to the economies of scale, in the '90s enlisted the powerful support of the United States Government and the WTO to force the European Union to change its banana regime that had guaranteed us and other African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) producers (former colonies of European countries) unlimited access and preferential arrangements.
STRONG MARKET PRESENCE
Dr. Hall, by insisting on improved cultivation and handling practices enabled us to achieve competitive quality standards and in so doing to maintain a strong presence in the market.
On his own company's farms he reduced inefficiencies by removing from production all but the most productive lands. It was not without a cost, however, and exports fell from nearly 90,000 tonnes to 40,000 tonnes annually where it has remained for the past several years.
So, what's all the fuss about then, one might reasonably ask? A 55 per cent decline in export sales seems like some huge sort of failure and certainly not anything to boast about.
IMPROVED QUALITY
The truth is, had we not improved the quality from the average 70 per cent 'puws' (the quality measure used in the industry) of the 1980s to over 90 per cent by the turn of the century, we probably wouldn't be able to export one ton today.
But where the real success lies is not so much in the export of our bananas, but in the development of the local market. Local consumption of bananas is estimated to have moved from about 50,000 tonnes in the 1990s to over 100,000 tonnes at present, and that does not include the fast-growing banana chips industry.
What most persons have failed to realise is that the banana industry today is as strong as it has ever been. The only difference now is that the small grower no longer depends on the export order to earn a weekly income.
Local demand for both ripe and green bananas has grown to the extent that hardly any fruit goes to waste any more. The European Union's Banana Support Programme has played a major role in helping farmers to adjust to the changing conditions and many of them were assisted in setting up ripening facilities that have helped to improve the quality of fruits offered to the local market.
The Latin American producers have again succeeded in forcing the EU to reduce the tariff to well below the 230 euros per tonne that the ACP producers thought they could live with. Locally, Agricul-ture Minister Roger Clarke was heavily criticised for accepting that figure while negotiations were on-going. Now at 176 euros the Latins are still pressing for it to be reduced further.
As it has turned out the Jamaican industry is still able to withstand the pressure. And it is in this area that I have a slight problem with Dr. Hall. I think he cries too much. At every new threat he comes out bawling that it will mean the end of the industry or it will be a devastation of the industry.
The latest lament (at the Gleaner Editors' Forum) is that we might be forced to pay a tariff on some of the bananas that enter the EU this year and certainly next year because the quota for the entire ACP is only 775,000 tonnes.
WELL DONE
I just want to assure him that we are proud of what he has done for the industry and we believe that whatever the threats are he will take the necessary steps to negate them as he has been able to do in the past.
The current Eat Banana drive isn't even necessary as Jamaicans already love their banana a day. They know it has a lot of iron and other goodies that make them healthy. And finally, we want to congratulate him on being inducted into the PSOJ Hall of Fame last September.
Hugh Martin is a communication consultant and farm broadcaster at humar@cwjamaica.com.
