Mayor of Morant Bay and opposition deputy spokesperson on Agriculture & Fisheries Hubert Williams is calling on the government to address the non-functional fumigation chambers within the Kingston Export Complex at the Norman Manley International Airport.

Williams in a statement on Wednesday, April 10, said the issue poses a significant challenge to exporters.

“Traditionally, the Kingston Export Complex operated two functional fumigation chambers. However, for approximately one year, only one of these chambers has been operational, causing considerable inconvenience and financial loss to exporters in the eastern region,” he said.

Williams said certain agricultural products, such as scotch bonnet pepper and yam require mandatory fumigation to acquire phytosanitary or pre-clearance certificates for entry into the United States.

Fumigation is a method of pest control or the removal of harmful microorganisms by filling an area with gaseous pesticides, or fumigants, to suffocate or poison the pests within.

“The current scheduling system for fumigation exacerbates the issue further. With limited operational capacity, exporters of niche products like scotch bonnet pepper face significant constraints. For instance, due to conflicting schedules, exporters can only ship scotch bonnet pepper to the USA on Wednesdays, despite the peak shipping day being Thursdays.

This situation has become untenable for exporters, resulting in substantial financial losses and a potential long-term market disadvantage. With competitors like the Dominican Republic ramping up scotch bonnet pepper production, Jamaica risks losing significant market share in the USA,” he said.

Williams is calling on the government to take swift action to rectify this issue and support local farmers and exporters. He said failure to address this systemic problem promptly will continue to cripple the agricultural sector and jeopardise Jamaica’s position in the global market.