Jamaica: Gov't to expand tropical fruit exports

Jamaica's Government is exploring a range of non-traditional products to market overseas, as part of…

Jamaica's Government is exploring a range of non-traditional products to market overseas, as part of a deliberate strategy to expand exports.

Chief Technical Director in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Dermon Spence, said there is high demand for sweet potato, melon, mango, pineapple, yam, dasheen, pepper, pumpkin, herbs, spices and nutraceuticals.

He credits the demand to a strong brand name, and the superior quality and strong flavour of the country’s agricultural products.

He said the Government is seeking to facilitate coordinated partnerships to address the gaps that exist in order to tap into the full potential of the agricultural export sector.

He noted that the Government is committed to increasing the export of goods and services in order to grow foreign-exchange earnings and drive economic growth.

He noted that gains are already being made, with export earnings increasing to US$13.2 million for the January to May 2016 period. This is 19.5 per cent more than the corresponding period in 2015. At the same time, the food import bill is trending down.

Mr Spence was speaking at an agriculture investment forum, staged under the theme ‘Export-Driven Investments: Yam, Sweet Potato, and Hot Peppers’, was the first in a series on export market potential and opportunities for various products.

It was used to engage potential investors, entrepreneurs, and a range of stakeholders in the agriculture sector.

The forum, held in collaboration with the Agriculture Ministry, examined the opportunity for the export of yam, sweet potato and hot pepper, as well as post-harvest and logistical issues related to the export sector.