Tufton

In an effort to reduce the number of pineapples being imported, the Government has launched an initiative to introduce a new variety of the fruit which better fulfils the demands of processors.

Last year, the country spent more than $160 million on pineapple by-products for use in the processing of juices.

"We don't need to import pineapples," declared Dr Christopher Tufton, minister of agriculture, last week as he announced that the MB2 pineapple planting material is to be introduced to Jamaica from Costa Rica .

World's largest grower

The Latin American country, with about 40,000 hectares, is one of the world's largest grower and exporter of pineapples.

Planting of the MB2 pineapples is expected to begin within a few months.

"It is a very interesting variety, very sweet. It doesn't have the prickles and the leaves so it's easier to manage," said Tufton.

The minister, who saw the variety while on a visit to Costa Rica last year, said the Costa Rican Government had agreed to provide a quantity of the crop to be grown in Jamaica.

The agreement includes provisions for the testing of soil content to determine the best region to grow the fruit and help from the Costa Ricans to identify a local private entity to collaborate with the Govern-ment.

But even as the Government seeks to minimise the money spent on importing pine-apples, some farmers are calling for help to find markets for their crop.

While commending the Government, one pineapple grower, Kerith Dixon, said the global economy crisis that had impacted the hotel industry was affecting his sales.

He has seen sales cut by more than 50 per cent in recent months. According to Dixon since the middle of last year he had been selling about 2,000 pounds of pineapple per week to hotels, a decrease from the almost 5,000 pounds he sold previously.

"The reason they (hotel operators) give is that there are less visitors to the hotels," said Dixon who has a 30-acre pineapple farm in Ginger Hill, St Elizabeth.

Dixon argued that pineapple growers are facing another major problem as while the selling price has held firm the cost of inputs has increased.