The Editor, sir:

In the 1970s rice production on a commercial scale was carried out successfully in the Elim and Barton Isle areas of St Elizabeth. Large quantities of rice were produced and sold on the local market in the true self reliant tone of the time. This operation however, ceased in the 1980s and was never continued.

Now, with the discarded chorus of "self-reliance" and "eat what we grow" re-emerging, will we see the reintroduction of this venture in the swamplands of St Elizabeth?

These are the sort of projects and joint ventures we expect any government of Jamaica to engage in. Such a project will provide jobs in a jobless community, reduce the import bill while producing needed food for local consumption. Mr Tufton, please get on with the project. Can we tap into the Chinese expertise in this area for a meaningful transfer of technology?

Greater dependency

Jamaica does not need dribblings of constituency funds here and there. This, at the end of the day, promotes greater dependency on the politicians. We need two or three well-thought-out production projects in each constituency, each year, by each MP, that will create jobs in sustainable, producing products that are marketable while reducing our import dependency and may even earn export dollars.

Can you imagine the amount of productive enterprise that would be scattered across Jamaica at the end of a five-year term. Considering the direct and indirect employment these projects could generate, over a 10-year period our unemployment rate could approach single digits.

MPs, please go to work and stop the handouts. Please empower the Jamaican people.

I am etc

CLEVELAND RENNALS

renny142@hotmail.com

Via Go-Jamaica