Farmers Connect (Jamaican Local)
I am thinking about an app for farming and marketing, called Farmers Connect.
It is suppose to address the problem of bringing local farmers' goods to the market quickly and avoid goods spoiling. Thus, consumers benefit by seeing lower prices. Prices would also be consistent.
It is also supposed to assist in land usage in terms of location for type of crops grown.
I have not finished working on the solution as yet. The idea of the app is a work in progress.
Basically, Jamaica can, and should be SUBSISTENCE with respect to food. There is more than enough land for the population. (If successful here, then countries in Africa could adopt. Cuba has a good approach.)
First, I would suggest a revised land policy.
- Leasing land for Farming for 1 year should be real cheap for the 1st farming lot size. This is to encourage farming on every corner of the island.
- Owning land per adult with TRN should be cheap for 1 lot size.
- Tax payable for said lot should be negligible.
- Tax should be higher when on adult owns more than said lot size and the tax rate would be applicable on the excess of the land above said lot size. (This is because it would inspire production for people who own a large amount of land. Also, land is a basic necessity of life. Many people of Jamaica do not own land, but all need to live on land. Those that do not own have to struggle, with some sort of parasitism on them just to get by.)
- Upon adult death, this lot size ownership would be relinquished, but can be held in stasis for a limited period of 18 years, for siblings or family/friend members, until such sibling, he/she reaches adult age
- Upon reaching adult age, the person would be entitled to one lot size at a cheap rate.
There is still more consideration to be placed in a land policy.
As it is now, to find land to live is for the privileged few. And many have to pay high fees and rent, to others. This is a form a parasitism, those that have to pay high loan fees, and rent fees, for a little place to "cotch" are being parasite-ed on by a system that caters for wealthy people, who do not have to work for where they live, whilst the poor are be taxed to the max, all they work for goes to bills. The overall productivity of the country is lessen. Rich people do not have to work. Poor working people are severely taxed before they can expand to do small business. The system was initially set by parasites from slavery days but the system is still in operation today.
To be honest, I would encourage farming on no-mans land. Fruit trees should be planted all over the island, by everyone, as a Project, especially way up in the hills away from towns or where nobody live. People who are hungry would form a team and venture together into the hills to pick fruits for themselves and to sell, and this would benefit customers in getting cheaper locally grown food rather than imported food. Typically one person would not go into the bush hills to plant a mango/ackee/apple/cocoa/{and so on} tree-ling, because the mentality is that someone else would reap that work, and it is too dangerous, but if everyone planted a few fruit trees, then in a few years, there would be more than enough for everyone in the island. Someone else reaping is not a factor, because more than enough fruit resource are present to be reaped. Historical Arawak or Egyptians would see the importance, to be able to feed themselves. I, personally, would not go into the hills by myself, but if I was in a group of 10 people and we each had fruit tree-ling off our choice, then I would not be scared to venture into the bush. Team effort needed. PS The location of trees can be tracked.
Back to the app
- One feature would be to organize a transport system (dedicated trucks and pickups) from producers to consumers. Each farming entity would go to an access point or directly list on the app an estimate of the amount of each goods that was harvest for the current batch and the location. Customers would make orders on what they want in this period and their location. The server end of the app would determine where the goods would go, and which market outlets.
- Market outlets should be sufficiently placed for optimal traffic. Not too many and not too little. There should be more market centers around major towns.
- Market days would be sufficiently schedule. I would suggest every two days minus Sundays. Not just mainly weekends as it is now. That's just my opinion but it can be tweak for optimal operation
- Excess in any goods or scarcity would be detected and communicated early to consumers so that they can adjust there orders based on the pricing.
- There would be one pricing for goods. But the goods can have different grades e.g. A, B , C and different pricing on each as determined by the farmers.
- The app would have a review system for Farming entities, and for customers. Say that a farmer regularly brings potatoes to the market. He could take a picture of his potatoes and it would be attached to his entity profile. Consumers could then rate the goods and comment, saying that the goods did indeed look like the picture.
- Likewise, the app system would generate metrics on consumers based on the consistency to stay with there orders or what type of changes the would tend to make in their final order. This would assist the transport system in figuring out where to deliver what.
- Jamaica farmers naturally not tech-savy with Android phones, that is where Access points would do the data entry and goods pickup in the app.
- Furthermore the app should be as user friendly as possible
- A final delivery system for those who cannot go to a market center for whatever reason, can be organised. Those who would want their goods delivered to the door would have their order placed on a truck. The truck would then pass trough a housing scheme and deliver orders to listed doors in that scheme for a small extra cost and payment would be done at a different time. A review system would keep the honesty factor in check.
Part of the problem with flooding is that people live where they can and not where they choose. Flood prone areas should not be inhabited. Other use may be found for such non inhabitable land. (Drain maintenance and city deforestation are other factors)
Plenty unemployed and able-ed body men would farm the soil if they could get some land and facilities. This is greater overall production.
A culture that focuses on progressive thinking, and rewards on it, will produce more progressive thinkers, and people who are retarded to it would eventually learn it.
PS I am a fan of carnival, spring break, Reggae sun splash, and other festive activities. These activities aim more towards money making rather than fun. Activities similar to these can be held quarterly and much cheaper. More people would come. This should bee the focus. And the production cost would still be recovered.
I am also a fan of tourism, and with more public activities, then tourist would have more fun on the island than just be confine to some inclusive activity at some hotel. But this may be an idea for another app. Tourist from France/UK/etc could live in "Uber"-like homes. Get quality home food. Get quality entertainment for much cheaper if we think progressively as a team.
Let's act on what we agree on now, and argue later on what we don't.
Black men leave Barbeque alone if Barbeque don't trouble you