KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) has been coordinating various marketing and investment activities aimed at boosting the range of export markets for local products.

These engagements include trade missions to Canada and the United States of America, as well as several Caribbean territories, to engage existing and potential investors through one-on-one meetings and tours of commerce spaces.

Manager for Agribusiness at JAMPRO, Marlene Porter, said that trade missions are now being planned for Colombia and Cuba, in an effort to generate trade leads and build relationships with key market stakeholders.

“We are looking at a mission to Colombia in September to allow five local companies to engage that market and look at the opportunity for growth in trade with the Latin American region,” she said.

She added that maintaining a presence in that market will enable people to become familiar with Jamaican products.

Porter said the market development programme for Cuba has been bearing fruit, with plans for a trade mission to that neighbouring island slated for November.

“We have been doing a lot of work on this market and are now at the stage where we have a lot of orders that are waiting. The six companies that we will be taking are now going to establish their presence in that space,” the manager explained.

Meanwhile, seven local suppliers of food and personal care and irrigation products have been on a four-day mission to Trinidad and Tobago since Monday (July 1), where representatives are being apprised of new market trends, with a view to boosting exports to the twin-island republic.

Earlier this year, JAMPRO led a delegation to SIAL Canada, which is an international trade event for the agri-food industry.

It allows national and international exhibitors to host buyers from Canada, the USA, and a number of other countries.

“We are feeling very positive about SIAL Canada, as, from the event, one company has already found a distributor and is now filling an order, and another company was able to re-establish relationships and is in the process of sending off a container. So we have had successes with SIAL and look forward to similar successes coming out of the other missions and events,” Porter said.

In relation to agriculture, she said JAMPRO remains committed to promoting investments in that sector.

Last year, the agency hosted three agricultural information sessions in Kingston and St James, targeting people with an interest in that industry, and those seeking investment for projects.

“We have seen the opportunities coming for agriculture and we need investors in this space, because we need to reduce the huge import bill, as a lot of the vegetables and ground provisions [can be cultivated locally]. So if we are able to get more investors growing and planting, then that would augur well for us as a country,” Porter pointed out, adding that one such forum is already slated to be held this year.

She said JAMPRO is looking to use the forum to identify, package and present projects to potential local and overseas investors.

“We want to share this kind of information with the companies and also bring to them some of our partners and stakeholders who they would have to interface with as they move ahead with an investment. This will make it easier for them to get their projects landed,” Porter added.