JAMAICA | Tomato Crisis: St. Elizabeth Farmers Watch Crops Wither at Rock-Bottom Prices

BLACK RIVER, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, March 11, 2025: As tomatoes rot in fields across St. Elizabeth, a tale of broken promises and institutional neglect is unfolding that threatens the livelihood of hundreds of farmers who invested over $75 million in crops now selling for a fraction of production costs.

Despite repeated assurances from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), farmers who meticulously followed guidelines and reported production data now face an economic catastrophe with no relief in sight.

"The Ministry has stated that RADA's marketing team is working to secure new markets and that cold storage facilities are in development. However, these so-called solutions do nothing to address the immediate crisis farmers are facing," said Miranda Wellington, the PNP'S MP Candidate for South West St. Elizabeth.

"Instead of waiting until the damage was done, why didn't RADA and the Ministry take proactive steps to ensure stability in the sector?"

The stark market disparities have become a flashpoint of frustration, with tomatoes selling for as little as $20 per pound locally while prices in other regions of Jamaica soar to $130 per pound.

This sevenfold price difference underscores the distribution and market access failures that have left farmers in financial freefall despite their substantial investment, with production costs averaging $250,000 per acre across more than 300 acres of cultivation.

Farmers vehemently reject accusations of overproduction, pointing to their transparency in reporting cultivation data to authorities. "It is unacceptable that after all we have been through, we are now being told we have produced too much," said Aneka Smikle, a tomato farmer from Pedro Plains. "We were encouraged to plant, but where is the support to ensure we can sell our produce at fair prices?"

The current crisis follows a pattern of unfulfilled commitments from RADA regarding marketing and distribution assistance. Farmers express mounting frustration at being directed to contact the very officials who failed to prevent the market collapse, describing a bureaucratic cycle that yields press releases rather than practical solutions.

Wellington has placed responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the Minister and Deputy Minister of Agriculture, both representatives from St. Elizabeth, calling for decisive action rather than further delays. "Farmers need real support, not more press releases and delayed solutions," she emphasized.

The MP candidate is advocating for immediate intervention including direct buyer-farmer connections through RADA, an emergency purchasing program, expedited cold storage implementation, and a fundamental overhaul of market coordination mechanisms.

"Farmers are not looking for charity; they are looking for a fair chance to earn a living," Wellington concluded. "The government must stop the cycle of neglect and take urgent action now."

-30-