Dear Editor,

The coffee industry in Jamaica has had a rich heritage over many years, with our coffee delighting the most discerning palates the world over. Sadly, this industry is now in a state of inertia, and we must examine the role played by this association.

Commodity boards and representative associations the world over are established to protect and advance the cause of its members against domination in the business world.

The Jamaica Coffee Growers Association (JCGA) has had its fair share of handicaps in a local industry beleaguered by problems. Relaunched less than a year ago, this association is called upon to function in difficult times where people now clamour for mere survival in a truly critical sector of the country’s economy. It is your judgement whether we get a failing grade.

The JCGA should be nothing less than the lifeblood of the industry, providing support for the dealers, the regulatory board, farmers, etc. Associations must undertake to dispense information, farm input, and other basic duties which will then free up a superior regulator like the Coffee Industry Board (CIB) to concentrate on that issue single-mindedly.

The JCGA must play a pivotal role in developing this industry, simply because of the broad-based relationship it invariably has with the different tiers of the industry in harmonising it. We eat, sleep, and cry with our farmers and even within an industry where there is much unity, we still go the extra mile in extending ourselves to interface with issues concerning the dealer, as well as making overtures to the CIB itself, when the need arises.

We could do a lot more with additional funding. We have not abdicated the charge to find new markets for coffee, bring a halt to the mass exodus of small farmers, nor have we lost sight of our responsibility to avail the growers of suitable peril insurance coverage. All this we are valiantly doing without a subsistence budget.

While funding is difficult, we still offer sound and sober approaches to the Wallenford issue because we are unfettered and are known to have no ulterior motives, and we still trust that our advice will be taken.

On the other hand, the coffee community in Jamaica and particularly the CIB might as well accept that JCGA cannot be all things to all people.

We continue to take a principled stand on some of the vexed issues which have plagued the industry as a whole, but at the same time, we acknowledge that certain agencies of government are far more appropriate to do so. We need to give them a chance.

We are no different from other organisations who are feeling the financial pinch, but we must live up to expectations in keeping with our promise to get better prices for our farmers, even if it means taking on more responsibilities to make it happen. The residue from the crop insurance fund is one way to start and we expect a favourable pronouncement in order to start performing the numerous of services expected of us.

Derrick Simon

President, JCGA

derrickdsimon@yahoo.com