Dear Editor,
Everton Morris writes: “I bought a whole pumpkin for $500 in 2020 today the same pumpkin is $1500”. (Read his letter in SN, August 4th). This is a 300% increase in 4-years. Did cost-of-inputs (fertilizer, farmer’s labour, transportation to market, etc.,) run-up to approximately 300%?
What can the gov’t do to bring down prices of farmer’s produce? Available land, not enough farmers? Open big plantations for growing food crops; end the peasant method (tiny, 5-acre sized farms), no mechanization, no high-tech method of watering the plants etc.
Do what Israel has been doing – import farm labour from Thailand. Import 3,000 farm labour, pay them well, house them well – and they will produce enough food crops at lower unit cost of production. Such models of growing food crops will bring down prices on the local market; it will also generate surpluses for export.
Sincerely,
Mike Persaud
