Money in hot peppers trade
Date: Thu 30-Sep-1993
Paper Page:
Publication: Daily Nation
PERSISTENT, PURPOSEFUL hot pepper growers could yield $4 to $6 million a
year in export trade for Barbados, according to Trade Commissioner Basil Forbes.
Forbes delivered the spicy news in a speech to small farmers and agricultural
officials yesterday, at the launching of a pilot pepper-growing project at the
Ministry of Agriculture, Graeme Hall, Christ Church.
He said the project was aimed at creating jobs and foreign exchange, and he
added, a country with 26 000 small farmers should, however, be producing more
for export.
"There was a demand for Bajan products in Canada, for example, but problems
arose such as inconsistent supplies, faulty pricing, labelling and packaging,
delivery and high transport costs," he explained.
Forbes' view was echoed by agronomist Leslie Brereton, who said 40 small farmers
were working the project and by December hoped to ship 12 750 pounds of peppers
to Canada.
Brereton said the objective was to ship 40 000 pounds a week to Canada by April
next year.
He said market research showed a demand for peppers in both the United States
and England.