KINGSTON, Jamaica — Members of the Blue Mountain Coffee Growers’ Association, who today staged a protest at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries over the current price of coffee, are to meet with the Government to have their grouses heard.

Portfolio Minister Karl Samuda agreed to meet with the coffee growers following their reports of a current selling price of $6,000 per box, which they said, cannot cover their input costs.

According to release from the ministry, the association requested the meeting with the minister at the ministry’s Hope Gardens location, where they met with Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Donovan Stanberry.

Stanberry explained to the farmers that the buyers and exporters of Blue Mountain Coffee had explained to the ministry in a meeting held some three weeks ago that prices for the current crop year would be determined following a meeting with coffee importers in Japan.

The exporters are in Japan this week for consultation with the Japanese firms, who purchase the bulk of the local commodity.