Farmers turn to web sales
By Julia Rawlins
The Barbados Business Authority
Monday September 17, 2001-09-30

SALE OF PRODUCTS by computer is beginning to take root among farmers.

About 40 local farmers have signed up to advertise on caricomproduce.com since the agricultural website was launched last month.

In addition another 40 exporters from Trinidad who are said to deal with an average of 5000 farmers have also signed on.

“The farmers are eager to come on board with the new system, it is just a matter of them getting used to the system,” said Revelino Simmons, the man behind the project and managing director of Venture Promotions Incorporated, the company responsible for the website.

He added that farmers have reported they received inquiries from the day after signing on.

Caricomproduce.com was designed to display and market produce of farmers and suppliers on the Internet through a catalog complete with prices.

Simmons said the site has been described as a “breath of fresh air” to the local agricultural industry.

To date, produce in the form of okras and herbs such as thyme, marjoram and chive have already been placed on the site by local farmers.

In addition, the Barbados Development Agricultural Development Corporation (BADMC), has put various cuts of beef, mince meat and burgers produced locally onto the website.

“The site also has the weekly wholesale prices of 26 vegetables and fruit items listed,” said chief executive officer of the BADMC Richard Knight.

However, by next month another type of software called Agricast, developed by S.E. Future Shock, is hoped to be used with the caricomproduce.com website to enhance service to farmers.

Knight explained that Agricast was a programme which would allow farmers to know what was being produced in the island in terms of acres planted, expected yields and when it was likely to be harvested.

“This would help farmers to avoid problems of the past such as gluts and scarcities, and plan their production more efficiently,” he said.

He added that it was also hoped that such a programme would deter wholesalers from importing produce when they see the quantities being produced at the local level.

The agricultural programme has captured the attention of the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) which has expressed an interest in licensing the software and bringing it to the entire region.

Negotiations surrounding this possibility are currently ongoing between Venture Promotions Incorporated and CARDI, who are expected to send a representative to the island within another two weeks.

Information is being targeted mainly to supermarkets, restaurants, hotels and those involved in the catering business.