Hanna wants to export ‘common fowl’

Lisa Hanna, the opposition spokesperson on foreign affairs and foreign trade, has suggested that Jamaica consider raising organic yard or common fowl for export.

Hanna, speaking in the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives this week, said that the global demand for non-GMO food was over US$1.49 trillion last year.

"In the US, organic chicken, or our 'yard fowl', sells at US$4.99 or J$750 per pound. The upscale Whole Food Brand markets sell organic boneless and skinless chicken breast for US$8.99 or J$1,350 per pound," Hanna said as she pushed for changes in various protection policies.

Hanna was particularly critical of the protection policy for the local Irish potato industry. She said that the production of Irish potatoes in Jamaica is 750 per cent above the world market average. According to Hanna, this has led to higher prices to the Jamaican consumers, who she said pay more than seven and a half times the world market price.

"There is no value in producing any agricultural product when we cannot do it efficiently and cost-effectively, or at least 40 per cent above world market prices," Hanna said.

GOODS WITH GREAT EXPORT POTENTIAL

The St Ann South East representative said that Jamaica should be focused on getting its farmers to produce goods with great export potential.

"One more acre of Irish potato is one less acre of exportable peppers, ginger, papaya, mangoes, or, more importantly, for value-added products to make sauces and cannabis products. Unfortunately, we seem not to have learned any lessons from staying too long in sugar," Hanna said.

She said that the global ganja/cannabis and pepper sauce markets are expected to reach US$97.3 billion and US$3.77 billion, respectively, by the end of 2026, and argued that Jamaicans should seek to benefit through exports.

"To succeed in exporting any of these products at even a one per cent world market share would transform Jamaica into the country we all yearn for. So, perhaps we should focus on exporting Scotch bonnet peppers and value-added products from the Scotch bonnet using the foreign exchange to buy all the Irish potatoes we need at lower prices," Hanna said.