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We're
in the ackee
It
used to be scorned as slave food.
Then
for almost 30 years it was dissed by the US as a toxic fruit.
Although
we always ate it, even conferring on it the title national
fruit, somehow ackee, even when we paired it with saltfish,
never seemed to have gotten its due respect.
But
these days ackee seems to be gliding into the spotlight as
the golden child of Jamaica's agricultural industry. It has
even moved on up to the steps of the White House.
What
is going on here?
For
one thing, ackee in some quarters, has gone haute cuisine.
Forget ackee and saltfish. Think ackee quiche, for example.
Then
the US in July lifted its 27-year-ban, having satisfied its
Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) food safety requirements.
The
triumph is not just that ackee has gone abroad now, it has
been available in the UK and Canada for decades, but now it
will carry some clout. With the opening up of the US market,
ackee exports could double from US$10 million to US$20 million
within two years, according to estimates. If all goes well,
the fruit which was brought to the island by enslaved West
Africans, could soon be the island's leading agricultural
export to the US.
Ackee's
crowning glory came in August, however, when the Jamaican
Agro-Processing Association bestowed 'The Order of Ackee'
on US Ambssador Stanley McLelland for his pivotal role in
having the US ban lifted.
At
the ceremony, Ambassador McLelland declared himself overwhelmed
and described it as "an incredible honour" to receive
the award, saying he would "cherish it for the rest of
his life."
THE
BUSINESS OF ACKEE
The good news is the lifting of the US ban. The bad news is
that we may be in for serious competition to reap the benefits.
For
years Jamaica was the only country where the fruit was grown
on a large scale and widely recognised as an edible food crop.
There
are reports that several other Caribbean islands, Mexico,
Costa Rica, Florida and even Hawaii are getting in on the
act.
"...we
need to investigate since it will impact on our marketing
strategies," said Director of Agribusiness at the Jamaica
Promotions Organisation (JAMPRO), Audrey Wright.
Mexican
researchers have taken a serious interest in the fruit, and
are among the first to conduct comprehensive evaluations of
its nutritional value.
Marco
Antonio Huerta, Trade and Corporations Officer in the Mexican
Embassy in Kingston, was unable to confirm whether Mexico
was developing a large-scale export ackee industry. He added,
however, that Mexico had a number of scientific programmes
in the areas of agricultural research and development in which
it had been co-operating with Jamaica.
In
the meantime local authorities are scrambling to figure out
how to take advantage of ackee's fortunes. Only two of the
island's 16 processors have already reached full compliance
with US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) food safety requirements
and can therefore begin exporting. About 700,000 cases of
ackees must be produced each year if Jamaica is to reap a
projected annual windfall of US$40 million from ackee exports.
The
industry has yet to determine the size of the overseas market
but, said Mrs. Wright, it is clear that demand is outstripping
supply.
"We
don't have enough ackee to can for export. We're not even
able to satisfy our existing market right now."
To
step up production ackee has been picked as the main cropin
the Ministry of Agriculture's tree crop project. Already,
100 hectares out of a total 880 hectares of ackee orchard
have been planted under the three-year project.
JAMPRO
officials noted that the increased production and export were
aimed at moving ackees beyond the ethnic food market of metropolitan
immigrant communities into the mainstream market of major
supermarket chains in Canada, the US and the UK.
In
the meantime, Jamaicans living abroad have resorted to a variety
of methods to satisfy their ackee craving. Some have gone
high tech to scout out the best prices.
Here
are some of their comments, taken from a web-forum hosted
by jamaicans.com.
"Mi
did feel fi some ackee and saltfish fi mi breakfas' ah mawning
and decide fi go buy a few tins ah ackee," writes 'First
Human', a Jamaican living in Toronto, Canada. "Guess
how much fi one deggay tin? US$8.99," almost double the
previous retail price of C$5.
'First
Human' has a theory about why the beloved fruit is now playing
hard to get. "Mi hear seh from it start fi cross di barder
(into the US) it nuh have no time fi di locals (Canadians)
henymore."
In
England, according to Sparky, a scientific assistant from
Kent, a craving for ackee can cost 2.99 pounds per tin. And
if that isn't bad enough, indications are that the price will
rise as the Christmas season approaches, he said.
Jamaicans
in the US don't seem to be faring much better than their Canadian
and British counterparts in their quest for ackee. "$10
an' change" is the price to be paid for the Jamaican
staple in the US ethnic food market."
On
the bright side, though, there have been reports of shops
in Brooklyn, New York, selling ackee at the comparably reasonable
price of US$5 a tin.
It
was 'Jabritusa', a clerk from Dallas, Texas who alerted the
others about the Brooklyn price. "In Brooklyn NY it proudly
sells for $5 a tin. Big up New York!!" she declared.
Local
prices are about $30 per dozen.
By
David Williams, Freelance Writer
Source:jamaica-gleaner,
26/10/2000
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