Juice manufacturer Trade Winds Citrus Limited’s purchase of the assets of Jamaica Beverage in October last year is ‘paying off’ with the Bog Walk, St Catherine-based company having further expanded into the fresh and flavoured milk market once dominated by Jamaica Beverage.

Having acquired all the assets of Jamaica Beverages, including the complete factory complex in Bog Walk along with all the surrounding lands and buildings, as well as its popular Dairy Farmers brand, Trade Winds has been leveraging these assets in expanding into the fresh and flavoured milk market.

Trade Winds Citrus acquired these assets as a strategic investment to fast-track its entry into the milk industry, which allowed them to launch two new products, Tru-Milk and Tru-Moo in March 2021.

In getting an update on the utilisation of the assets and Tru-Juice’s entry into the primary production of fresh cow’s milk through the establishment of its own dairy farm, which was carried in The Caribbean Business Report last October, managing director of Trade Winds Citrus Peter McConnell responded to our questions sent on May 12 via a press release issued yesterday.

In the press release, McConnell announced the further expansion of the company’s milk product line to include two additional milk beverages namely Tru-Milk and Tru-Moo.

New milk product line unveiled

These new entrants in the market follow the introduction of TruSHAKE and Tru-Almond in November 2020, which saw the company utilising a brand-new manufacturing line valued at US$3 million. According to McConnell, “these new product offerings are in line with Trade Winds’ expansion and innovation strategy which has so far been exceeding expectations. We continue to diversify and invest in agriculture as the company strongly believes that Jamaica can and will feed itself.”

Tru-Milk is 100 per cent pure cow’s milk, which requires refrigeration at all times, and is available in 475ml, 945ml and half-gallon sizes. Trade Winds Citrus says its goal is to reacquaint the Jamaican palate to the unmatched quality of fresh cow’s milk.

Meanwhile, Tru-Moo, a flavoured milk drink, which also requires refrigeration, is currently available in the chocolate flavour in a 945ml package. The company expects to launch its cherry, peanut punch and 100 per cent milk in a single-serve 450ml carton later this month.

Trade Winds seeking to revolutionise Jamaica’s milk beverage market

With the launch of Tru-Milk and Tru-Moo, Trade Winds Citrus says it is supporting local Jamaican farmers who they depend on for a steady supply of milk. The launch of Tru-Milk and Tru-Moo took place in March 2021 as a continuation of Trade Winds’ strategy to revolutionise the nutrition and plant-based milk beverage markets.

Marketing Manager Lauren Mahfood reported that “the feedback on the new dairy products has been exceptional with positive reviews on flavour and affordability. As newcomers to this industry, consumers have welcomed the opportunity to support Jamaican-made products and we look forward to maintaining their interest with new flavours and packaging options on an ongoing basis.”

Trade Winds Citrus in its release said that it continues to expand the network of farmers and has noticed that their enthusiasm and productivity have increased considerably since their relationship started a few months ago. Like the Tru-Juice brand, the four new brands (Tru-Milk, Tru-Moo, TruSHAKE and Tru-Almond) are all premium quality products, blended to perfection and packaged in a wide range of convenient formats.

Trade Winds Citrus, which is popularly known for its leading juice brands Tru-Juice and Freshhh, has invested in their own dairy farm with an ever-increasing herd of cows. The company is utilising the most modern technology available to them to ensure an efficient, safe and comfortable environment for its cows and calves to achieve optimum productivity.

Once the facility is completed, consumers can look forward to farm tours to see first-hand where their delicious milk products come from. Once the supply of milk is sufficient, Trade Winds Citrus will also provide shelf-stable Tru-Milk and Tru-Moo products for all Jamaicans to enjoy.