The Internal Marketing Systems of Jamaica

T HE important role that peasant periodic and daily markets play in economic development and social integration is becoming increasingly evident. At present, most marketplace studies deal with relatively small areas, or where they do encompass a large number of markets the data lack depth or are of uneven quality. Data have not been sufficient to make more than general statements about a national marketing system at the peasant level. Recently, information on all of Jamaica's periodic markets has become available,l and it provides us with more data on the spatiotemporal aspects of periodic markets for an entire national economy than are available for any other country. Our purpose is twofold: to present these and related historical and geographical materials in the larger context of Jamaican agricultural practices and marketing reform, and to draw general comparisons with marketing systems elsewhere in Latin America.