CONSUMER CONCERNS

 

Can buying local ever give you better value for your money?
Guyanese and other West Indians have had a deep historical preference for foreign consumer goods, and it is only in recent years that this prejudice, for prejudice it is, has begun to wane, gradually allowing consumers to exercise more choices.

Since Independence, from time to time, there have been ‘Buy Local’ campaigns sponsored by Governments. The raison d’etre of such campaigns has always been ‘to conserve foreign exchange and stimulate local industry and agriculture.’ The needs and requirements of the consumers have never been part of the equation with the result that the campaigns have never made much impact.
The Guyana Consumers Association has always vigorously supported the use of local products, once such products compare favourably with the imported equivalents in price and quality. Our watchword and guiding principle has always been ‘Value for your money’.
In the supermarkets and many greengrocers’ stalls in the markets, many kinds of imported vegetables and fruit are on sale attracting a good clientele. Such vegetables are not only carrots but broccoli, spinach (bhaji), small squashes, beans and even tomatoes. An even wider range of these vegetables are canned. These imported vegetables, either fresh or canned, are far more expensive than the local equivalents, are grown with chemical fertilizers, and are far less fresh, healthier and nutritious than the local ones. This can be seen when, as soon as the refrigeration is removed, they begin to droop, wither and even rot. There can be no question that buying local vegetables is better value for money.
The range of foreign fresh fruit widely imported is much narrower and is mainly apples, grapes and pears. Pears are outclassed by the local avocado pears and other local fruit in taste, food value and price. Apples and grapes are far more competitive and are especially so when the fruits are out-of-season.
For example, medium oranges and mangoes are now five and four for $200, that is, one medium orange or mango goes for $40 and $50. In such cases, apples and grapes offer better value.
Fruit juices of various kinds are imported mostly from Trinidad and Barbados, but these so-called juices are no more than concentrates, watered up, sugared, flavoured and canned.
The local fruit juices produced by TOPCO use fresh fruit and are far more wholesome and healthier than the imported “juices” and offer much better value for money. The situation is identical with the colas and other sweet drinks produced by Demerara Distillers and Banks DIH.
These identical drinks are imported in cans costing twice as much as the local equivalents. We recommend that buying local fruit juices and aerated sweet drinks present better value for money.
Most consumers, with a knee-jerk reaction go for foreign “manufactured” foods rather than the local, though many local equivalents are world-class and cheaper. We give a few examples:
The biscuits, salt and sweet, produced by Banks DIH are of the highest
international standards and are far less expensive than any of the equivalents imported. Or the jams and jellies produced by Demerara Distillers, Tandys and other local producers are far cheaper and more wholesome than the foreign jams and jellies. The sweets, pastas and other food products produced by the Beharry companies have all earned ISO standards, are world-class and are exported to international markets.

Their sweets have all been formulated by the best expertise from Europe, their production machines are amongst the most modern and their range is superior to and sells at better prices than any equivalent imports. NAMILCO produces wheaten flours of the highest grade as well as other wheaten products. Their products are fresher, healthier and less expensive than foreign imports. A good example is the cereal wheat germ which sells at half the price of the foreign import.
The consumer is therefore enjoined not to precipitately buy the imported product but to ascertain whether the local product is as good as and sells cheaper than the imported one so that he can be sure of getting the best value for his money.

 

By Pat Dial

 

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