KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Karl Samuda, has denied that a pork glut currently exists in Jamaica.

However, the minister told a press briefing at his ministry in Kingston this morning that, given the capacity of local farmers to produce the product, steps would have to be taken to add value and seek export markets.

“We will immediately improve our market survey system to better inform both imports and production, strengthen our market to support the sector, and increase surveillance and effect seizure of products illegally imported,” Samuda said.

He noted that only pork bellies and tails can be legally imported into Jamaica and no variation of that rule is allowed.

He said that imports actually decreased 400,000 kilograms last year, including a reduction in the imports by 107,000 kilograms of bellies and tails in December 2016, compared to the same month in 2015.

Samuda said that he had met with pork farmers on Monday, and discussed the way forward as well as a general reflection on how the industry is doing.

He said that the speculation in the press that there was increased illicit importation of pork products in great quantities was not true.

“At least there has been no evidence, concrete evidence,” he stated.

Balford Henry