This indicates some decline in growers' prices following a decline in the Jamaica green-
boat. or export. price, which is also used as an indicator for deciding growers' prices
in the Windward Islands.

 Information on price changes is not easily available for all products, but Table 4. 5. iv
shows some recent changes in prices which will indicate the general trends for the various
commodities.

 Table 4. 5. iv

 Prices of various commodities, 1954-55 through 1959-60


 Growers' prices F. 0. B. prices

 Year Coffee, Cocoa,Jamaica, Copra, West Indies Cotton, MSI 2/
 Jamaica, shillings per area export price, Antigua, BWI cents per
 price per pound 100 pounds BWI $ per ton pound clean lint

 1954/55 2s. 5d. 254 300 106-112
 1955/56 2s. 5 id. 154 300 100-106
 1956/57 2s. 6d. 129 300 110-116
 1957/58 2s. 5d. 104 300 111-117
 1958/59 2s. l d. 154 320 99-105
 1959/60 Is. 9 d. 154 340 84- 90

 1/ Rates for smaller quantities than 100 pounds are slightly less.
 2 MSI (\Montserrat Sea Island).
 Source: Data and material developed during the study and other available data.

 When we summarise all the trends in export crops we cannot but conclude that there has
been a slight decrease in all products. The two crops in which there have been price in-
creases, copra and rice, are those for which the export market is mainly or wholly a re-
gional one. All other prices reflect the general world situation of falling commodity prices
since 1955. However, due mainly to established markets and trading agreements, price
fluctuations are rather less than would be exhibited in the world market over the same
period.

 Turning now to domestic food crops and livestock products, we find that information on
growers' prices is fragmentary. Although movements in retail prices are not exactly the
same as movements ingrowers' prices, the broad trend is the same.

 The retail prices of all foods were about 10% lower in the country although Irish pota-
toes and tomatoes were frequently higher. The retail price index for all food items in-
creased in Jamaica from 100 in December 1955 to 103.5 in December 1956, 105.9 in De-
comber 1957, 109.6 in December 1958, 112 in December 1959, and 122 in December 1960.
Table 4. 5. v shows retail prices for selected foodstuffs in Kingston for various periods
from 1955 to 1961.