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Western hoteliers concerned about
local produce
Sheena Gayle, Hospitality Writer
Inconsistent supplies of agricultural products and the exorbitant
prices from local farmers are the driving factors which have hoteliers
in western Jamaica concerned about continuing to do business with
these farmers.
Horace Peterkin, general manager for the Sandals Montego Bay Resort,
revealed that "most of our products are supplied through local
farmers, but while the local food items taste better, sometimes
when I go to purchase some of these items, they are priced at 10-40
per cent above market price".
This, he admitted, is driven by a number of factors that the farmers
face with their crop production. Infrastructure, Peterkin explained,
has played an influential role in the farmers' ability to sustain
a consistent supply to the hoteliers.
He said that "the work they do is very labour intensive and
this makes the process very inefficient. They (farmers) need a tractor
to help with the ploughing; in addition, they need a proper irrigation
system to assist during the drought periods".
suggestions
Nevertheless, the former Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association
(JHTA) president suggested that farmers do proper forecasting, coupled
with more scientific research on the types of crop they are producing
and establish a plant schedule in an effort to improve consistency.
Similar sentiments were expressed by Wayne Cummings, president
of the JHTA, who said farmers "needed to do their homework
and maintain a list of the suppliers".
With the widely advertised campaign by the Ministry of Agriculture
to 'Eat What We Grow and Grow What We Eat', Cummings said farmers
needed to engage the hotels to help themselves identify markets
that they can tap into.
Meanwhile, he argued that the Government also needed to play its
role in ensuring that hoteliers do not experience a food shortage
in the event of a natural disaster.
"Policies need to be in place to identify which geographical
location is at risk for a hurricane, for example, and find suitable
alternatives for farmers to farm during that period," he said.
This, he believes, will ensure a continued supply of goods to hoteliers
but would require a collaborative effort from both the farmers and
the Agriculture Ministry.
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