Early March 2025 noticed each espresso seminar and pageant in St Andrew with bumper crowds in attendance.
The showpiece annual occasion is sponsored collectively by Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining (MoAF&M). Espresso farmers needs to be the principle beneficiaries of the occasion however they’re oftentimes priced out of the actions with an entrance price of $5,000 per particular person which excludes different bills like meals, transportation, and so forth — too costly for a number of the poorest farmers within the sector. The pageant is seen by espresso farmers as a ‘huge man factor’.
Nonetheless, the aims of the occasion are to advertise Blue Mountain espresso as a world-class model, to encourage wider use of the product regionally and internationally, to encourage higher funding within the rising and processing of the crop and to enhance the welfare of farmers and their communities.
Sadly, these aims are largely unrealised. Worldwide markets are declining on account of excessive value calls for and solely 30 per cent of Blue Mountain espresso is utilized in native blends, in comparison with 70 per cent imported espresso from South American nations.
Down market espresso, the worst of the lot, is used within the accommodations which might be a serious market bloc for Blue Mountain espresso. Resort operators claimed that native espresso is simply too costly and can negatively have an effect on their room value, however the place is the Authorities within the advertising and marketing of native produce within the tourism sector. Native espresso might be handled extra beneficial within the resort commerce, the place it might be provided alongside aspect with imported espresso, like several types of alcohols and wines with completely different value factors that has not affected room prices, and so forth.
The fact is that espresso conglomerates worldwide are trimming workers. Starbucks has lower 1,100 company positions from their 360,000 jobs in 2024 and the scenario is analogous for the Chinese language firms Luckin, Cotti and Pacific Espresso, that are present process restructuring as a response to world value fluctuations whereas on the identical time Panama Geisha espresso is experiencing robustness in sale.
Additionally main coffee-producing nations have arrange style validation workshops for 2025 and Jamaica is just not listed amongst them. That is the place authorities may companion with the Jamaica Espresso Growers Affiliation, purchasers and roasters/producer to carry these connoisseurs right here to validate the espresso from which a advertising and marketing platform could be established and value factors decided.
Jamaica continues to export inexperienced beans as a substitute of roasting a bigger quantity of the Blue Mountain espresso into value-added merchandise. Restricted value-added amenities exist regionally, with about 25 per cent Blue Mountain espresso being processed by means of worth addition (roasting, grinding and packaging).
Farmers are getting $10,000 per field for espresso. Bills for reaping, transportation, labour and inputs scale back the growers return to about $4,000 per field.
The pageant’s try to draw funding in espresso is retarded by poor street circumstances, insufficient extension officers with just one per parish (St Andrew, St Thomas, Portland) that contains the Blue mountain zone, difficulties to get loans at inexpensive phrases, poor collateral and absent of a espresso crop lein system. And why there isn’t any espresso crop lein, which is a money circulate collateral system, however remained untapped for espresso farmers though the produce is offered to restricted gross sales retailers with lengthy historical past of fine status.
Authorities failure to put money into roads, correctly organised extension supply service and analysis for espresso farmers is immediately chargeable for the low yield of common 23 packing containers per acre.
An acre consists of 800 bushes and with the required inputs and agronomic husbandry, the place every tree may yield a mean quarter field which might be 200 packing containers per acre as a substitute of 23 packing containers. That is the manifestation of poor extension service, lack of presidency assist and insufficient advertising and marketing construction.
Some correctly managed farms are yielding are as much as 0.37 field per tree or 300 packing containers per acre. These yield figures change the profitability outlook, and if achieved espresso could be prepared for brand spanking new funding all different issues being equal.
Jamaica Agricultural Regulatory Authority (JACRA) is tasked with duty to ship extension and high quality assurance for espresso farmers however the complaints are echoing louder daily as a result of JACRA is unresponsive to those two fundamentals. Moreover, the plan to have Rural Agricultural Improvement Authority (RADA) assume duty for all extension providers continues to be not finished.
Moreover, the Observer article dated March 9, 2025 quoted a senior JACRA officer saying the style profile of Blue Mountain espresso has deteriorated on account of local weather change with out revealing the analysis findings to validate such a declare. Style profile might be affected by many issues resembling varieties, post-harvest dealing with, poor husbandry; inadequate vitamins, and so forth. Nonetheless, the patrons are satisfied that Blue Mountain espresso is inferior to Geisha from Panama or Robusta from the espresso rising nations of Africa in response to the JACRA officer. And but the regionally grown Arabica is most well-liked to Robusta, Geisha, Tipica, and so forth, however analysis is required if the Blue Mountain espresso ought to stay predominantly Arabica or combined with different varieties
In actual fact, JACRA must design analysis programmes with Bodles Analysis Station and the colleges to incorporate consultant samples of espresso farmers for analysis findings to be accepted and impactful. Work ought to start now with some prolific varieties within the Blue Mountain geographic zone and within the excessive mountain areas for each higher yields and style profile earlier than any adjustments are authorized..
The espresso pageant couldn’t handle all these points however it was designed to advertise Blue Mountain espresso, to not suppress it, and since TEF and RADA developed Agricultural Linkage Trade (ALEX) in 2017, was espresso sale part of this a lot talked about e-commerce platform which generated sale of $40 million within the first two months of 2025.
ALEX wants readability. Does this $40 million embrace imported meals stuff (Irish potatoes, greens and fruits) or did it issue for produce like espresso, the spices, livestock and worth added merchandise.
It’s puzzling to listen to of ALEX robust efficiency with sale engagements of roughly $450 million in 2024 when the 12 months skilled two hurricanes (Beryl and Raphael) which helped to set off two quarters of decline within the agricultural sector that has been declining from 2022.
The latest tomato glut in St Elizabeth and the obfuscation in espresso market appear to flee the tentacles of ALEX as a result of it’s after farmers have misplaced closely, RADA senior officers are claiming that they’ve now recognized markets for the tomatoes and that it was not a glut however poor distribution drawback, which thickens the puzzle in regards to the use and software of ALEX and the place have been RADA advertising and marketing officers when this large tomato crop was planted. Equally, did ALEX combine Jampro to persuade accommodations to make use of even 30 per cent of Blue mountain espresso of their choices as how authorities used the regulation to power native espresso producers to make use of a minimal of 30 per cent Blue Mountain espresso of their components.
Perhaps ALEX farmer base of two,000 is simply too minuscule to influence 250,000 registered farmers of which the tomato growers belong however not linked to ALEX e-commerce platform, though RADA share possession with TEF for ALEX. This platform should not be allowed to decrease any additional and needs to be topical to RADA month-to-month assembly to the place TEF needs to be invited.
I used to be concerned with the event of ALEX in it preliminary levels as CEO of RADA and a member of TEF oversight committee and nonetheless maintain it in excessive regard however would love for it to be integral platforms advertising and marketing native produce as a substitute of getting used as pageant showpiece.
