Stop forcing subpar produce on consumers

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I MUST express disgust about a practice I have been observing for a while among some higglers in both the designated and nondesignated market areas.

Some of them seem to be of the opinion that consumers either have no (real) use of their (oftentimes, HARD-EARNED) money, that we don’t know quality, or worse yet, that the monies we hand them as payment for produce has a lesser value than what it is.

What the heck am I babbling about?

The practice of these people using swift movements to hide a spoilt mango, rotten tomato, green orange, dried-out yam, or ‘force-ripe’ banana into our ordered items! Then, the audacity of wanting to persuade us to take it because “nutten nuh wrong wid it” or to tell us that that’s how he/she bought it.

That’s not the consumer’s problem.

We, the consumers, are not giving $50 for $100. We are not tearing off a piece of the note before we give it as payment. Furthermore, the seller wouldn’t accept it if it were visibly torn/damaged. Every note or coin handed in as payment equals its FULL value, so why should we, consumers, be expected to accept substandard-quality farm produce?

We don’t want it. I don’t want it. If the tables were to be turned, you (sellers) wouldn’t want it either.

So, stop with the little gimmicks. We know the tricks, and we are not amused by them.

We are taught that demand equals supply and that the customer is always right, so please demand better quality from your suppliers.

Otherwise, I will demand (nicely, of course) value for my pennies – or step and stick with the honest sellers.

S. BEASON ALLWOOD St Catherine