Why JP Tropical Foods Pineapples will be a hit in Jamaica this Christmas

“We had done some sales to supermarkets last year, but we were less consistent with our supplies, so we didn't make a lot of noise about it. But we are getting to the point where pour volumes require us to pursue more retail and wholesale business”

JP Food Distributors General Manager Neil Crum-Ewing commenting on Pineapple sales in Jamaica General Manager, at Jamaica Producers Group

Pineapples are going to be big this Christmas, if the numbers from Jamaica Producers Group are real.

This as they’re selling more pineapples in grocery stores than ever before since July 2015 as reported in the article “JP Tropical Taps Grocery Channels To Boost Pineapple Sales”, published June 17, 2015 by Tameka Gordon, The Jamaica Gleaner. 

This is mainly thanks to JP Tropical Foods, a division of Jamaica Producers Group breaking the cycle of the fruit only being available between April and June by simply growing more of the fruit. Within the next three (3) years, they’ll be able to supply fresh pineapples all year round.

They had double the acres of land dedicated to pineapple production, so they have more of the exotic fruit to go around to quote JP Food Distributors General Manager Neil Crum-Ewing: “While this market channel has been one of the largest purchasers of JP pineapples since we started the pineapple project, we have tremendous growth opportunity as we execute our plan to make pineapples more available year round”.

This is an amazing feat, considering the fact that pineapples take 14 months to grow to full maturity. JP Tropical Foods supplies of the fruit have increased by 50% and they control about 60% of the Grocery market, expanding from hotels who use it to supply pina coladas and cooking food for tourists and downtown market sellers who also sell if along with bananas for retail.

To be honest, I mainly see it being sold by street side vendors in sliced form in Cross Roads, with the whole fruit being available downtown. But the grocery market appears to be maturing, despite not being so pervasive in such place as Hi-Lo and Empire supermarket in Cross Roads where I shop.

So why am I predicting that pineapples will be a hit this Christmas?

JP Tropical Foods ramp up Pineapple production in July 2015 - Why Pineapples will be a hit in Jamaica this Christmas

Pineapple is often eaten freshly sliced or as a juice in Jamaica as noted in the article “PINING for the flavor”, published July 31 2010, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. It's also gaining traction as an alternative for marmalades, jam, jellies or candies and its good for making natural candies and sweet-and-sour meat dishes. 

It also boasts some health benefits, being a source of Vitamin C, manganese and calcium for strong bones. It also contains a protein digesting enzyme mixture called bromelain that encourages natural anti-inflammatory by basically eating bacteria and yes, your own dead body proteins.

Aside from garlic, it’s a great way to clear mucus during a cold. But don't let it sit in your mouth for too long; it might start dissolving your tongue! There are four different varieties of pineapple in Jamaica:

1.      Cowboy

2.      Ripley

3.      Sugar Loaf

4.      MD2

The MD2 was introduced to Jamaica in 2009 and globally is the most popular variety, with 90% of world demand being gobbled up by twelve (12) countries:

1.      USA

2.      France

3.      Japan

4.      Belgium

5.      Italy

6.      Germany

7.      Canada

8.      Spain

9.      England

10.  Korea

11.  Netherlands

12.  Singapore

They prefer it canned rather than fresh with most of the world’s pineapples being supplied by the Philippines and Thailand, with Indonesia being the concentrated juice specials supplying 70% of demand. Jamaica is no different, as we're catching on to the idea of convenience.

Being as Sorrel will be short this Christmas as predicted in my blog article entitled “Why Great Jamaica Sorrel Shortage of 2015 caused by increasing yearly demand - How Turner Innovations Sorrel picking machine might save Christmas 2015”, many people might be encouraged to switch to Pineapple now that JP Tropical Foods is on the case.

Especially if JP Tropical Foods start to sell it as a canned either in cans or conveniently packaged like sliced sweet potatoes in vacuum sealed bags as noted in my blog article entitled “JP Farms harvests first Sweet Potatoe Crop – How Potatoe chips and Potatoe Beer may be coming in 2016”. 

Pineapple might replace sorrel and also become a fruit salad dish, baked into cakes, garnish ham and chicken and even be fermented into wine! Let's hope that JP Tropical Foods can ramp up production in the next three (3) years to keep up with the year round demand or the fruit and the juice concentrate as Jamaicans love sweetness!

Here’s the link:

Ministry of Agriculture’s Pining for Pineapple

How CARDI's Salt Water Dasheen and Agricultural Towers help Pacific Islands and Jamaica in a Drought

“The aim of the centre is to assist Pacific Island countries and territories to conserve the region’s resources, and to make them available to the when they are required by farmers in particular. Conservation is the core business of the centre, with priority given to a number of crops such as dasheen which we call taro, yam, cassava and breadfruit”

Associate Programme Coordinator, ARD Policy of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation Samson Vilvil Fare speaking at the Caribbean Pacific Agri-food forum in Barbados about Dasheen

Jamaica may soon have a variety of Dasheen that's drought-resistant thanks to shared research from the Pacific.

This new variety of dasheen was introduced during a Caribbean Pacific Agri-food forum in Barbados as reported in the article “'Smart' dasheen resistance to drought”, published November 04, 2015, The Jamaica Observer.

Revealed at the Caribbean Pacific Agri-food forum in Barbados by the Associate Programme Coordinator, ARD Policy of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation Samson Vilvil Fare, this very important plant is doing well so far in testing in Trinidad and Tobago, quote: “This crop is already tested in the Caribbean, it was planted in Trinidad and the feedback is very positive. Dasheen is a main staple for us and we eat a lot of it, so something had to be done to ensure that it will survive long dry season that is now associated with the impact of climate change”.

The new variety of dasheen was developed for the islands in the Pacific after years of study by CARDI (Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute). The Pacific islanders called dasheen “taro” and the new variety can withstand prolonged drought and grow in highly saline soil.

Perfect for islands that have no running water dependent on seasonal rainfall that's not predictable or consistent and only have access to seawater for agricultural and domestic use. The plant is now accepted for use in the Pacific Islands and research has already begun in the developement of a new variety of Yam that is also drought resists as well as able to grow in salty, sandy soil and use seawater.

Dasheen that grows with less fresh water – More plant needed that grow with less

According to the WRA (Water Resources Authority) Jamaica uses only 25% of available groundwater resources i.e. wells and 11% of accessible surface water resources i.e. rivers as noted in the article “Jamaica’s aging water systems falter under intense heat and drought”, published November 18^th 2015 By Zadie Neufville, Caribbean 360.

With this fact it mind, the necessity of making a dasheen plant that grows with less water might seem a tad odd.  But the Caribbean and Jamaica share the same climate as well as the same problems as it relates to the scarcity of water resources. Thus developing such water efficient plants as well as sharing our knowledge with our Pacific neighbours will help us to identify other plants that can be modified with this very desirable trait.

While there is a need for the NWC (National Water Commission) to tap into these other water resources and also introduce water recycling as described in my blog article entitled “Water Wastage at MICO - How Waste Water Recycling and Rainwater Harvesting benefits Agriculture” we also need more plant varieties that can grow with either less water or water that’s saline.

Samson Vilvil Fare drives home this point about the plant and out shared problem with climate change, quote: The dasheen we develop taste the same, look the same and took the same amount of time for maturity and so all that will be required is for farmers here to plant them. “Dasheen needs water to grow and mature but this variety needs less water, so under drought condition it will be able to produce and if sea level was to rise where its planted and the salt water gets into the soil, that variety will not died because it’s also resistance to high salinity levels”.

Desalination is too expensive – Transgenic salt water loving plants and Agricultural towers needed

Desalination is definitely not on the books. So making plants that can grow with Salt water gives Caribbean and Pacific islands more options to play with.

It will also allow us to fulfill our export obligations, such as exporting hot peppers and dasheen to Trinidad and Tobago as noted in the article “Jamaica to Export Hot Pepper and Dasheen to Trinidad”, published March 24, 2015 By Marlon Tingling, the Jamaica Information Service.

We are currently facing the reality of climate change as the sea gets close each year. Aside from more usage of water resources, recycling water and super-efficient plants, we also need to look at the idea of agricultural towers that use aquaponics in vertical towers to use land space efficiently to grow food as explained in my blog article entitled “How IGES Canada Ltd Vertical Hydroponic Aquaponic Towers make low cost Organic foods”. 

Developing transgenic plants that can survive with less water in salty soil is a long term solution for Jamaica's drought problem and coming battle with the sea.

How to make Glow-in-the-Dark Jamaican Christmas Fruit Cake

Christmas is not Christmas in Jamaica without sorrel, which seems to be in short supply this year as noted in my blog article entitled “Why Great Jamaica Sorrel Shortage of 2015 caused by increasing yearly demand - How Turner Innovations Sorrel picking machine might save Christmas 2015”.

A staple that I always look forward to is the traditional Christmas cake, which is also known as Black Cake or Christmas Cake with all those raisins and fruits soaked in rum. But wouldn't it be great to make a Glow-in-the-Dark Jamaican Christmas Fruit Cake so that you can find the cake downstairs, even in the dark?

Here are the ingredients for my Glow-in-the-Dark Jamaican Christmas Fruit Cake that's sure to have the kids excited come Christmas Eve:

1.      6 ounces or 1.5 cup flour

2.      8 ounces margarine or butter

3.      8 ounces sugar

4.      4 eggs

5.      1 cup Schweppes Tonic Water

6.      1 pound raisins

7.      1 teaspoon cinnamon

8.      1/2 teaspoon mixed spice

9.      1/2 teaspoon salt

10.  4 ounces mixed peel

11.  4 ounces cherries

12.  1/2 pound mixed fruits

13.  1 cup wine/brandy

14.  1 cup Schweppes Tonic Water

15.  1 teaspoon baking powder

16.  1 teaspoon vanilla

17.  Finely grated rind of 1 lime/lemon

18.  2 tablespoons browning

The secret to the Jamaican Christmas Fruit Cake glow is the infusion of the Schweppes Tonic Water. To make this marvel that will delight the eye and amaze your guests, even your annoying mother-in-law, follow these simple instructions:

1.      Soak the fruits overnight in the Schweppes Tonic Water

2.      Sieve all dry ingredients together into a separate mixing bowl

3.      Melt the Butter

4.      Mix in the sugar and browning and blend with a mixer until soft and fluffy

5.      Beat eggs and combine with wine/brandy and Schweppes Tonic Water

6.      Add egg mixture to creamed butter and sugar.

7.      Add fruits soaked overnight in the Schweppes Tonic Water

8.      Add the dry ingredients, including the flour and fold in, taking care not to over beat the mixture

9.      Bake at 350F for 1 1/2 hours.

You'll get a nice 9 pound cake or you can pour out the batter into several baking tins and get multiple cakes for your friends. To make the cake glow in the dark, make sure that you have UV lamps, like those used to identify money, turned on and the lights off.

The kids will be delighted to see their cake, fruits and even the crumbs glowing in the dark. Best of all, the can wash it all down with glow-in-the-dark Sorrel, which can do that by adding Schweppes Tonic Water.

Why WeChat ewallet in South Africa as ScotiaBank Jamaica and Digicel going Cashless

“Like a physical wallet, you can securely store your bank cards and make instant cash payments within WeChat with the new feature. With WeChat Wallet, users can electronically send cash to friends and family, just like handing cash to a friend to get you lunch or pay for coffee or a drink at the bar.”

Tencent in a release for their new eWallet for their mobile app WeChat

Jamaican who travel to South Africa regularly, you might not need to travel with your credit card anymore, just your smartphone!

WeChat, a popular Mobile Social Network provider owned by Chinese Internet giant Tencent, now has a mobile wallet or eWallet that's accessible within the popular Smartphone app as reported in the article “WeChat launches its peer-to-peer mobile wallet in South Africa, no bank account required”, published November 25th 2015 by Michael De Waal-montgomery, Venturebeat.

 

The WeChat Mobile ewallet does the following transactions:

1.      ATM withdrawals

2.      Merchant purchases

3.      Remittance

South Africa is one of those countries that Apple Pay is yet to conquer, despite making in-roads into most English-speaking countries including the UK and now Australia as noted in my blog article entitled “Apple Pay wins over Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland – England is now Apple Pay Country as Apple Pay set to conquer Australia”.

Apple Pay is in Australia's hard-to-access Banks in November 2015, with only American Express supporting their mobile wallet platform as noted in the article “Apple Pay arrives in Australia for Amex cardholders”, published November 19, 2015 by Lance Whitney, CNET News.

Apple Pay is also in Canada with plans to conquer China by February 2016 as reported in the article “Apple Pay reportedly to launch in China by February”, published 24 November 2015 by Steven Musil, CNET News. 

However, they seemed to have ignored South Africa, despite the Rainbow nation being quite close by. So how does WeChat Mobile ewallet work that takes it so special?

Tencent’s WeChat ewallet – Why South Africa is going Cashless

Mobile e-wallets isn't something new in south Africa, with QR code based startups like SnapScan and FlickPay already dominating the market as noted in the article “Cape Town goes cashless as mobile payment apps take off”, published 5 December 2014 By Tom Jackson, BBC News.

Apple Pay will have a difficult time come into South Africa, as their platform requires the use of Apple iPhones and a dedicated POS (Point of Sale) terminal, whereas mobile payment options like SnapScan and FlickPay only need the app installed and QR Codes, which are basically square shaped barcodes.

Like SnapScan and FlickPay, the WeChat mobile ewallet uses your camera to scan the QR code, a service that complements their Mobile Social Network. Once you’ve signed up, registered and connected your credit card to your app on your smartphone, you can do transactions with merchants that have a QR code, no POS terminal required.

Setting up the service is also blessedly simple:

1.      Log into WeChat

2.      Tap Me,

3.      Tap Wallet

4.      Follow the step-by-step instructions

The App does the transaction in the cloud, updating the accounts of the persons involved in the transaction to reflect that the transaction has taken place.

The person paying confirms the payment via their fingerprint or by entering a PIN number, receiving a notification and an email with copy of the transaction receipt from the merchant to print at the recipient’s leisure. The merchant then receives a confirmation that the payment was made via notification on their app or an email with a copy of the transaction.

This is the highly competitive market that WeChat's ewallet is being launched. It's only available to South Africans who are 16 or older with a valid ID number toting iOS or Android phones. WeChat also released a series of Videos to explain how the service works.

To differentiate themselves, they’re offering to store up to three Credit Cards in their service, to quote the press release from Tencent: “Information of up to three chip and PIN debit or credit cards, which are verified by Visa and MasterCard security systems, can be saved in the WeChat Wallet. Cards can also be used to Cash In and increase your wallet’s cash balance, pay for services on WeChat such as airtime, electricity, food or pay SnapScan merchants.”

You can also use a Debit Cards and purchasing mobile airtime might be the most popular use for the app along with your local newspaper as noted in the article “WeChat launches wallet in South Africa”, published 25 NOV 2015, Mobile World Live. 

Expect WeChat to start being use to purchase food and pay the bills as well. Best of all, most of these services do not require a bank account; you can collect your money at a local remittance office or even the ATM, no bank account needed!

Jamaica Mobile Money Revolution – Supreme Venture, ScotiaBank and Digicel partnership possible

In a way, this a lot like CONEC mobile in Jamaica, which has Paymaster as their Third-party Bill Payment Processor as noted in my blog article entitled “JCUES now CONEC Mobile Wallet - Why CONEC Mobile Wallet still inconvenient despite Paymaster and Remittances in the JCCUL-Mozido Jamaica mix”.

However, CONEC Mobile cannot do merchant transactions or ATM withdrawals and is restricted to local and international remittance services as well as buying mobile credit. So Jamaica has some ways to go to even catch up with South Africa!

Jamaica is on the cusp of a Mobile Money revolution, with Supreme Ventures IFLEX Betting platform enabling them to provide ticket purchase and prize collection capability via their Supreme Ventures app as reported in my blog article entitled “Supreme Ventures Limited IFLEX Betting Platform Upgrade - How Mobile Gambling via Smartphone is finally coming to Jamaica”.

Scotiabank is already preparing to do mobile money transactions, possibly in partnership with Digicel by enabling cross-bank transactions as noted in my blog article entitled “Why ScotiaBank is introducing Cross-Banking Transfers – Supreme Ventures Mobile Money on the horizon”.

So will Jamaica go cashless by 2016 with the help of Digicel, ScotiaBank and Supreme Ventures? 2016, the New Year of the Monkey, is only six (6) weeks away!

AquaBounty Technologies GMO AquaAdvantage Salmon – Why GMO Salmon in the Wild will be an Ecological Disaster

These are strange times indeed for GMO!

It's very strange to see the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approve GMO (Generically Modified) Salmon on as noted on Thursday November 19^th 2015 as reported in the article “The FDA just granted approval to a fast-growing genetically modified Salmon species”, published November 20, 2015 Ed Oswald, Digitaltrends.

The approval was handed down for a specific breed of genetically modified Salmon made by AquaBounty Technologies, making them the first to get approval for a GMO as noted in the article “Salmon is first transgenic animal to win US approval for food”, published 19 November 2015 by Heidi Ledford, Nature.

They’d submitted the concept back in 1995 and it has basically been 20 years of deliberations within the FDA before they lived at their decision.

Not only are the Salmon declared safe to eat, but there is apparently no requirement by the FDA for AquaBounty Technologies to label AquaBounty’s Salmon, only that they be kept in inland storage tanks.

AquaBounty Technologies GMO AquaAdvantage Salmon – Why GMO Salmon in the Wild will be an Ecological Disaster

This is because the FDA says no real difference between the GMO Salmon and traditional Salmon, to quote from their website: “Because the data and information evaluated show that AquAdvantage Salmon is not materially different from other Atlantic Salmon, the FDA has determined that no additional labeling of food from AquaAdvantage Salmon is required”.

AquaBounty Technologies states that these GMO Salmon are genetic cross between Atlantic and Chinook breeds. They are also enhanced with growth factors in their genetics and can grow to full size in eighteen (18) months rather than the three (3) years it takes traditional Atlantic Salmon.

AquaBounty Technologies argues that this means that the Salmon are more efficient and thus use less feed to grow, reducing the turnaround time for farmers as well as their carbon footprint.

What worries me and others concerned about GMO's is that these Salmon, if they escape from their inland storage tanks and into the wild, can grow rapidly and outcompete fish in the local ecosystem for food just like the oversized Goldfish in the River of Australia as based on research by Murdoch University as noted in my blog article entitled “Murdoch University says Goldfish Destroy Freshwater Ecosystems - Why Jamaica must avoid Goldfish becoming Kingpins in our Rivers”.

On this basis alone Center for Food Safety director Andrew Kimbrell will be filing a lawsuit against AquaBounty Technologies, quote: “The review process by FDA was inadequate, failed to fully examine the likely impacts of the Salmon’s introduction, and lacked a comprehensive analysis. This decision sets a dangerous precedent, lowering the standards of safety in this country”.

After all, if you cannot tell them apart from real Salmon and they can grow twice as fast, if they escape into the wild, they'd be the equivalent of goldfish competing with local species and driving them to extinction.