The International Development Bank (IDB) will visit Jamaica May 6 for four days, to conduct an orientation to develop a plan to build the value chain of the printing and packaging industry.

The Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA) was successful in its bid to garner support to create a Printing and Packaging Cluster under the “Compete Caribbean Programme, Support to Clustering Initiatives Window”.

The approval of the project through the first round of the scheme will result in the IDB providing technical assistance to create a Cluster Competitiveness Improvement Plan.

As such, the JMA is inviting all interested local companies in the printing and packaging sector to join the cluster meeting tomorrow at 2 pm at the association’s headquarters on Duke Street, Kingston.

Through the cluster the JMA will be able to identify more sustainable methods of manufacturing packaging, increase awareness of packaging design, innovations, international regulations and standards.

According to the JMA Executive Director, Imega Breese-McNab, “Jamaica’s export potential has been limited by poor packaging and the development of key stakeholders along the printing and packaging value chain is critical, in any effort to successfully improve packaging for export competitiveness.”

Local packaging and printing manufacturers, although having the demand, lacks the capacity or technical support to design or develop products suitable to facilitate a competitive export sector, she added.

“Undoubtedly, this project will have a great impact locally and regionally as we seek to develop this industry’s competitiveness,” said JMA’s project manager, Kamesha Turner,

Ultimately the goal of the JMA is to enable Jamaican manufacturing companies to maximize opportunities in international markets. The objectives for the creation of the cluster would be to improve the competitiveness of the local printing and packaging manufacturers through technical assistance and capacity development.

There is huge potential for investors along the Printing and Packaging Industry value chain as in 2010 Jamaica imported US$74.4 million ($7.3 billion) of plastic packaging and mainly from Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, Costa Rico and the United States, Breese-McNab said.

Larger companies mainly use overseas graphic artists to design labels and print, then import them as local designers, packaging manufacturers and printeries have had limited exposure to labelling trends.