Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Karl Samuda.
Industry Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Karl Samuda has announced that regulations are now in place that will ensure that all coffee that is imported, packaged and sold locally will be mixed with Jamaican green beans.
The objective of this measure is to boost the expansion of Jamaican coffee and eventually eliminate the importation of green beans.
According to Minister Samuda, when persons import coffee, mix it with cheap imported beans and sell that product to hotels as coffee that is processed and packaged in Jamaica, it cheapens and destroys the reputation of the Jamaican coffee brand.
“That is why without fear or favor with the constitutional authority vested in me as the Minister, I took the decision to implement a regulation that says from hence forth no coffee will be packaged and sold in Jamaica if it does not contain Jamaican coffee,” said Minister Samuda.
The Agriculture Minister made the announcement on Sunday, November 19 while addressing farmers at the inaugural Coffee Industry Symposium at the Chinese Benevolent Association.
The Coffee Industry (Amendment Regulations 2017) came into effect on November 15, 2017. Under these regulations, all imported coffee that is packaged and sold in Jamaica must include at least 20 per cent Jamaican Coffee.
Minister Samuda, who has been encouraging coffee farmers to increase their productivity, said the regulations should serve as encouragement to produce more High Mountain Coffee.
“Use that to blend with the Blue Mountain, so that we will have a totally Jamaican coffee brand,” said Minister Samuda.
The Agriculture Minister also warned against breaching the regulations, which come with hefty fines or a term of imprisonment.
Contact: Karlene Brown Tel: 968-8669
