Jamaican Coffee Export To Get Boost

An initiative designed to help boost coffee export from Jamaica to the European Union (EU) has been launched.

During a recent high-level event, which celebrated a longstanding and fruitful partnership between the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) and the Government of Jamaica, the initiative was introduced.

Under this initiative, Caribbean Export will provide consultants to produce a comprehensive analysis of the EU coffee market and develop the market penetration strategy to increase the footprint of the Blue Mountain and Jamaica High Mountain coffee brands in Europe.

The initiative is funded by the EU, as a part of ongoing, generous support to businesses in CARIFORUM countries.

Europe holds strong prospects as a strong and important coffee market, with significant scope for the expansion of exports, due to its large consumer base of approximately 450 million consumers,” said Kamina Johnson-Smith, Minister for Foreign Affairs and “Foreign Trade.

Johnson-Smith commended the ongoing EU-funded support provided by Caribbean Export, which she said has in the last four years provided grants amounting to US$1.3 million to 53 local firms. She said the initiative will enable economic growth in the country. The EU already accounts for 10 per cent of Jamaica’s total coffee exports.

The absence of marketing intelligence and penetration strategies was flagged as an issue and barrier to expansion in Europe by Jamaica’s coffee exporters and their EU counterparts.

“Our goal is to assist in creating an evidence-based strategy for positioning Jamaican coffee in the European market, which, when executed, will connect with new consumers and create a memorable experience, while sharing the story behind the product and strengthening the unique brand identity of Jamaican coffee and Jamaica as a whole,” said Deodat Maharaj, Executive Director of Caribbean Export.

Maharaj emphasised the importance of leveraging the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement to expand coffee exports for jobs and growth.

Consultants, Windward Commodities, will conduct an in-depth review of the EU coffee market, including market entry requirements and an analysis of the market penetration strategies of other major coffee suppliers. They will provide recommendations to enhance the competitiveness of Jamaica coffee exporters in the EU market. (PR)