Where have all the farmers’ markets gone?

The wave of farmers market which flooded the country in the first quarter of the country, including innovations such as the Drive-Thru Farmers’ Market at the Agricultural Marketing Corporation (AMC) at 188 Spanish Town Road, has practically dried up and some farmers are hurting.

Agro-Investment Corporation (AIC), which hosted that event in April, got high marks for its packaged deals which saw combinations of fresh vegetables, fruits and produce, priced at $1,000 and $1,500, as excellent deals for consumers, who were spared the hassle of going to the market. The Ministry of Agriculture also hosted a number of farmers’ markets at the playfield at the its Hope Gardens head office, St Andrew, and various association of branch societies of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) also got in the act, all across country.

This win-win situation for farmers and customers alike was pivotal in helping to move a serious glut of agriculture produce as itprovided customers with easy access to affordable fruits, vegetables and ground provisions. But now the markets are all dried up and the Jamaican householder has effectively been left on their own.

FINANCIAL STRUGGLE

It was for this reason that Friday’s farmers’ market hosted by the Kingston and St Andrew Association of Branch Societies of the JAS, was well received but President Jack Green explained that it had been a financial struggle to stage the event. He is grateful to telecommunications giant Digicel and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) for sponsoring Friday’s staging. He wants other corporate entities to raise their game and provide the kind of financial support that will allow his organization to host a regular farmers’ market at least once per month. That money will go towards the rental of tents for booths, portable toilets and the provision of washing/sanitization equipment in order to maintain proper COVID-19 protocol, among other things.

“We are so grateful to Digicel and RADA for filling the financial void otherwise it would have us put under some amount of financial strain. People don’t realize that it has been since May that we have been footing the bill every time we put on a farmers’ market. So we really want to thank our main sponsor Digicel for coming on board to allow us to stage what is in effect a mini Grand Market.”

Things got underway about 7:30 with more than 15 farmers from Kingston and St Andrew, Campbells Egg Farm, as well as farmers from neighbouring parishes and entities such as the Jamaica 4-H Club participating. Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Floyd Green stopped in and interact with some farmers before endorsing the idea of making the market a regular event.

As soon as the gates opened there was a steady stream of customers according to Green, who admitted that prices were competitive due to a shortage of vegetables. Checks by The Gleaner found that tomatoes were going for between $450 and $500 a pound, yellow yam between $100 and $120, and dasheen $130 a pound. The real bargain, however, was the sale of eggs at $600 a tray (30 eggs), which one householder described as a bargain especially at Christmas, since she had seen it going at $800 a tray.

According to Green, a sampling of farmers at midday found that most were pretty pleased with the pace at which their produce was moving.