Rebuild by supporting local farmers

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Jamaica is covered with some dark economic clouds ahead with the second lowest per capita income of US$7,000 in the Caribbean.

Our productivity and attitude to work have been on free fall while crime grows alongside other antisocial behaviours. There is a new ideology of Nasty Mouthism that is spiralling in social media and being concerted elsewhere.

Our factories and productive capacity have been almost decimated. The opportunities that normally exist for our exports becoming more attractive to foreign buyers have plummeted.

Most of our exports depend heavily on imported raw material and, as the dollar devalues, some goods and services become more uncompetitive, plus tariffs in the case of the United States.

Did you know there was a glass factory on Ashenheim Road in Kingston, a once-thriving industrial park? It makes you think immediatelythat our economy needs productive rebuilding.

I still hear little talk of production, hard work and foreign-exchange earning. The foreign exchange as a commodity for sale in a market is treated no differently from red peas or tomatoes.

We must pull out all the stops to rebuild our productive capacity, stabilise/revalue the dollar and, as a World Bank report recommended, the best hope for countries like Jamaica to survive is by going into manufacturing. Whatever the formula, it cannot be talk as usual. We need urgent action along with a good dose of nationalism and to stop being a ‘Rampin’ Shop’ or one elaborate ‘duncehall’ full of empty deejaying.

Produce and buy Jamaican to rebuild the country. It is important to put the country over partisan politics, nastiness, corruption, improprieties, laziness, greed and selfishness. Also, we must love our neighbours as ourselves.

MICHAEL SPENCE