Rita Hilton beats the odds with CARITA
THE FINAL instalment of Nutramix’s ‘Women in Agriculture’ campaign highlights a woman who does not take no for an answer, is incredibly passionate about agriculture, and is the epitome of the Jamaican saying ‘likkle but talawah’. CEO of Carita Premium, Jamaica Fresh Produce, Rita Hilton, is one of the keynote speakers whose story will leave you saying “Yes, I can”.
The Kenyan native developed a love for Jamaica’s terrain and agriculture after migrating to teach geography, which was her major at university. “For a small island, there is so much diversity in scenery and soil types. The geography and the history of Jamaica was very fascinating and I was able to impart this knowledge and the love for the Jamaican countryside to my students,” said Hilton. With the aid of her husband, who was a forrester, Hilton was able to travel around the island and witness the natural production food, which allowed her to appreciate its importance to the development of the nation.
“My love for Jamaican foods was nurtured from very early. Out of diversity, they say you must ‘tun hand mek fashion’. I loved that because my kids learned to love local unprocessed foods as much as I do,” said Hilton, as she imparted her knowledge of using local
produce to make different types of food.
Carita Premium was created from a need to generate additional income for the Hilton family. “I was very reluctant to leave teaching because I loved it. But I had three kids to send to university and the fees were so high,we couldn’t afford it. So we started looking for opportunities outside of teaching,” she explained. Hilton found herself in banking, which was not as fulfilling as she thought it would be. She then went into management consulting, but the training took her away from her family. “I had a young daughter that came after a long gap with the other two kids. I just found that it was difficult to execute decisions that were made in a timely fashion. So I quit working for someone else and decided to start my own business,” she explained. Her first shipments were made to a friend in New York who was experiencing a shortage of hot peppers.
Hilton attributes her perseverance, vision, and need for independence to the success of Carita. “The fact that we were consistent and set high standards for the products we were shipping, being able to operate within reasonable margins and building a reputation within the export business is what has allowed us to grow as a business,” said Hilton.
NO EASY FEAT
Running a company is no easy feat and it came with several challenges that could have cost Hilton her business. In the early ’90s, one-third of Carita’s shipping container was relieved of yams and filled with compressed ganja. When it arrived in New York, it was held and the entire shipment was lost. “That was a huge income lost and also I became a target for Customs. Every time I entered the States, I went through intensive searches,” said Hilton, who had to hire a Jamaican lawyer to appeal on her behalf until her name was cleared. “That was a big challenge, not only financially, but it also compromised my credibility. We had to put in several measures to make sure our end was clean. Fortunately, the shipping company allowed us to continue shipping with them,” she explained.
Hilton emphasised that there will always be challenges when running a business, but people need to ensure that they have safeguards in place to uphold the integrity of their product. Back in her day, directive was terrible; however, she was steadfast in learning how to do every step of the way herself. She received guidance from Jamaica National Export Corporation and other private-sector companies which taught her the ropes on the export business. “I learned all the ropes from just asking questions and doing all the work by myself. I had to do it, it was a grind,” said Hilton, who also stated during that time women were not allowed to sign for loans and needed the assistance of a male friend to get her business approved.
Hilton is extremely honoured to be asked to be a part of the group of women and become and inspiration to other people. Through the Nutramix school tours, Rita was able to talk to young women who were in the process of choosing their careers, and ask the question, “Why not a career in agriculture?” “To me, agriculture has so many diverse parts. By highlighting this calendar, the young girls and women were able to see that there were so many facets and careers in agriculture that opened their eyes,” she said.
INDEPENDENCE
Hilton’s story highlights her independence with getting her business up and running on her own, and proving that age is just a number. She created Carita in her early 40s and is still a part of the daily operations of her business.
“Women need to know that you don’t have to be dependent. Total dependency is not what we were put on this world for. Don’t let your age define you and define your goals. You should be able to say as long as I have the energy, I have the health, I put my trust in God, and I know I have a purpose,” said Hilton.
Her journey with Nutramix has introduced her to very impressive women at different stages at your career. “It allowed me to grow as a person and to appreciate what is involved in raising livestock and crops. The connections between the women and their strength have been very eye-opening to me,” she said.
Hilton is a proud member of the Nutramix family and is planning to continue the mission of educating and getting more persons involved in agriculture. “I am hoping we are still able to empower persons, especially in the rural part of the country,” said Hilton.