Fruits & Veggies

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Originally Posted by TAH

All produce imported into the US (and thus most anything leaving the US) has been treated to kill any potential organisms. And I think it's at best in poor taste for everyone to jump on vi about simply relating her experience. This kind of thing is exactly why I don't post here much at all (I realize nobody cares about that, but I can't be the only one).

If the actual customs official directly told her that it applies to commercial importers, that should at least be acknowledged. But all anyone seems to want to do is argue about it. It's a bad look.

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I am sure that commercially grown and exported produce has been treated to kill potential organisms either into and out of Jamaica.

The problem is the person picking a dozen (limes in this example) out of their backyard and taking them to Jamaica. This is what is illegal.

Here in Florida, that is how we got the last round of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly.

I don't dispute that, and that's why I used the word "most".

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Originally Posted by TAH

I don't dispute that, and that's why I used the word "most".

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Which is why the practice of bringing fresh fruits and vegetables into Jamaica is illegal.

How is someone to know whether the limes in question came from a commercial grower and not a freelance farmer?

Lot's of people bring illegal things into Jamaica and get them through for various reasons but they are none-the-less illegal.

Just pointing that out as she is not a commercial importer to the best of my knowledge.

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Originally Posted by Accompong

Which is why the practice of bringing fresh fruits and vegetables into Jamaica is illegal.

How is someone to know whether the limes in question came from a commercial grower and not a freelance farmer?

Lot's of people bring illegal things into Jamaica and get them through for various reasons but they are none-the-less illegal.

Just pointing that out as she is not a commercial importer to the best of my knowledge.

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I understand that. My main issue is that vi clearly related her direct experience (she's a trustworthy person), and her first person interaction(s) with actual Jamaican customs officials, and what they told her directly.
Anyhow, I'm bored with this. It's pedantic, and I don't care to continue the debate.

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Originally Posted by TAH

I understand that. My main issue is that vi clearly related her direct experience (she's a trustworthy person), and her first person interaction(s) with actual Jamaican customs officials, and what they told her directly.
Anyhow, I'm bored with this. It's pedantic, and I don't care to continue the debate.

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I hear you TAH. Vi is clearly a respectable traveler and a solid contributor to this board, so I have zero reason to doubt her experience. The challenge is Rob is obligated to communicate what is appropriate based on the fact that travelers read this site for advice, and if he let something ride that he knew was clearly against the law that reflects poorly on him.

I attempted to go thru the proper channels to bring in beef a couple of years ago, and literally became incredibly frustrated with the buck passing when I contacted two different government entities that are the alleged approvers. In the end I gave up and chocked it up to typical government bureaucracy.

I like the suggestion of bringing in the little lime juice containers to get your fix. A little lime with your rum goes a long way.

LOL this is priceless! Since it’s a strong possibility the “she” refers to me I’ll state for the record that I am NOT a commercial importer nor do I have a plot of ground in my yard to harvest the vegetation/fruit I take to Jamaica. The commercially grown produce I take to Jamaica comes from either a Shoprite or WalMart grocery store…depending on competitive pricing of course.

Those who say it is “illegal” to take limes into Jamaica, I ask where is the penal code associated with this crime?? And why haven’t I been arrested or even worse….gasp…my limes confiscated by the custom officers/agents who fondle them?????

Okay this has gotten way too ludicrous to be considered serious by anyone. As TAH said, all I did was share my real-life experiences of taking limes to Jamaica without incident because it was mentioned in this post. And even after passing on information I received directly from a customs officer and suggesting a clarification of the issue be posted to help put this debate to rest, I’m now told it’s “illegal” and not to bring them???? Well at the end of the day, I’ll still take limes and squeeze them mercilessly over coconut meat (yummy) or into a glass to mingle with my rum. At the same time, you take what you want and I'll not judge you. But TRUST if I’m arrested, I’ll write about it in a trip report…once I make bail.

TAH I ADORE you to pieces.

Thank you Booger :)

Tah,

Everyone is allowed to share their experiences and knowledge, including Vi, Bnewb or any one here. Bnewb's personal experience has not been the same as Vi's. Bnewb was told and has seen something completely different from what Vi has experienced. Everyone should be entitled to their own personal experiences and I hope that you are not trying to insinuate that one experience is "more real" than another.

Getting back to the actual subject, there are many places to stop on the way to Negril from the airport and buy whatever fresh fruits and vegetables that you want. As for bringing them from your home country, nothing in anyone's personal experience changes the fact, as stated on the official Jamaica Customs Agency website, that bringing in fruits and vegetables is illegal. And the reason is to protect the local produce from harmful pests and diseases. Bringing fruits or vegetables to the island is illegal. Simple.

Whenever someone wants to persist in providing wrong information to others based on their own experience, then they should and will be challenged as their personal experience does not change the law.

Because of this, I have to disagree with your logic. It would be in poor taste to jump on Vi for her personal experience. But no one is doing that. Vi is being challenged for suggesting that others should break the law based on her personal experience. The reactions to her posts are appropriate and necessary because of this fact.

As I have stated before, I hope that new visitors as well as returning visitors think twice before bringing things to the island that are illegal and have the potential to harm the local ecosystem.

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Originally Posted by *vi*

LOL this is priceless! Since it’s a strong possibility the “she” refers to me I’ll state for the record that I am NOT a commercial importer nor do I have a plot of ground in my yard to harvest the vegetation/fruit I take to Jamaica. The commercially grown produce I take to Jamaica comes from either a Shoprite or WalMart grocery store…depending on competitive pricing of course.

Those who say it is “illegal” to take limes into Jamaica, I ask where is the penal code associated with this crime?? And why haven’t I been arrested or even worse….gasp…my limes confiscated by the custom officers/agents who fondle them?????

Okay this has gotten way too ludicrous to be considered serious by anyone. As TAH said, all I did was share my real-life experiences of taking limes to Jamaica without incident because it was mentioned in this post. And even after passing on information I received directly from a customs officer and suggesting a clarification of the issue be posted to help put this debate to rest, I’m now told it’s “illegal” and not to bring them???? Well at the end of the day, I’ll still take limes and squeeze them mercilessly over coconut meat (yummy) or into a glass to mingle with my rum. At the same time, you take what you want and I'll not judge you. But TRUST if I’m arrested, I’ll write about it in a trip report…once I make bail.

TAH I ADORE you to pieces.

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Vi,

I do not find anything funny at all with this. More sad in my perspective. Since when is saving a dollar worth risking the agriculture of another country? Do you have so little regard for another country that you will disregard their laws in order to save a buck?

The ones who say it is illegal to bring fruits or vegetables to Jamaica are called the Jamaica Customs Agency. Since they wrote the laws and they are the ones to enforce it, I tend to use them as the source. The penal code associated with this is located in both the Customs Act and the Customs (Amendment) Act 2014. Here is the link to the wording on the Jamaica Customs Agency website:

https://www.jacustoms.gov.jm/customs-legislations

You may consider it ludicrous, but if you follow the number of eco-systems effected by invasive species, pests and diseases world wide then you would never call it ludicrous.

You say you asked for clarification about this. Bnewb posted a link for you from Jamaica Customs and you dismissed it. I gave you information and you dismissed it. Others have chimed and have also been dismissed. It seems that if the clarification doesnt agree with your experience so that you can bring in items that you should not, then it is dismissed.

Ludicrous? Interesting word...

https://www.jacustoms.gov.jm/sites/d...toms%20Act.pdf Page 89. #180. ......................."shall incur a penalty of one hundred thousand dollars, and all such goods shall be forfeited".