Processing Technology And Free Freight To Temperate Climate Countries For Caribbean Fruits And Vegetables

By elementary p r o c e s s i n g , the f o l l o w i n g transformations are e a s i l y made: i . f r u i t s and nuts to c o n f e c t i o n e ry i i . j u i c e s to syrups and n e c t a r s i i i . vegetables to c o c k t a i l p i c k l e s and pre-mixes The end-products of these t r a n s f o r m a t i o n s i n v a r i a b l y command higher u n i t p r i c e s than t h e i r corresponding raw-products. Most are s h e l f - s t a b l e , r e q u i r e simple packaging, and enjoy a h i g h rate of consumption i n temperate zone c o u n t r i e s , the C a r i b b e a n ' s major source of t o u r i s t - d o l l a r s . . F l e x i b l e f i lm packages are r e a d i l y a v a i l a b l e imports, and the massive i m p o r t a t i o n of b o t t l e d f o o d s t u f f s and beverages has as one consequence unused m i l l i o n s of a s s o r t e d glassware, much of which could be modified by r e l a t i v e l y inexpensive glassblowing and l i t h o g r a p h i c techniques into s u i t a b l e , a t t r a c t i v e c o n t a i n e r s . M i n i s t e r s of trade would t h e r e f o r e be w e l l advised to examine the f e a s i b i l i t y of g l a s s - m o d i f i c a t i o n f a c t o r i e s , i n s t e a d of the more c a p i t a l and energy i n t e n s i v e manufactories of g l a s s and t i n c o n t a i n e r s . Given the proper o r g a n i z a t i o n , the r e g i o n ' s f r u i t and vegetable industry might then reap a harvest of hitherto unknown wealth, by imitating the rum and souvenir industries i n which the dynamic winter population of tourists is a free freight-carrier of indigenous products to mainland, consuming markets.