KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) said it is in full support of the announcement by the Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Karl Samuda on the imposition of a cess on imported coffee.

The coffee, according to JAS, is being used for blending of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, mainly for the supply of blended Blue Mountain Coffee for the local market and the hotel trade.

“The large importation has become necessary because of the low production of non-Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee and the high cost of the said coffee which would make the Blended Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee non-competitive in both travel retail and the hospitality industry,” said JAS President Norman Grant.

The organisation further called on the minister to impose this new coffee import cess regime as soon as possible and expand this to include imported value added coffee products as well.

It also asked that the minister use the additional income for the expansion of farms and farmers of both the Jamaica Blue Mountain (JBM) coffee and non-Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.

Grant projected that, “if the minister implemented the new regime in the current fiscal year 2017, which starts on April 1st, (and) these funds are used for these purposes and not the consolidated fund we could see increase production of coffee both JBM and non JBM moving from estimated £2.5 million to £4 million in five years and exports from US$25 million to over US$30 million in the same period.”

The support for the move was expressed at the JAS Board of Directors meeting held on yesterday at the JAS head office.