With the Jamaica coffee industry significantly contributing to the country’s foreign exchange pull, chairman of the Jamaica Coffee Exporters Association Norman Grant is pushing to increase production of the agricultural commodity over the next five years.

In his message to mark the celebration of International Coffee Day, Grant pointed out that to achieve the goal coffee farmers will need to triple the output per acre.

“As we celebrate International Coffee Day, the focus of the Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee sector is to increase our production from our current levels of 220,000 boxes per annum to 650,000 boxes per annum over the next five years. We will simultaneously increase our productivity from 30 boxes per acre to an average of 90 boxes per acre through the establishment of new acreage of coffee as well as resuscitating existing coffee acreage,” Grant, who is also managing director and CEO of Mavis Bank Coffee Factory Limited, outlined.

“While we seek to increase our production and productivity, we will simultaneously expand our green bean and roasted coffee market and diversify our product through the consolidation of our current market share,” he added.

At present, Jamaica boasts a 70 per cent market share in Japan, 20 per cent in the United States, and 10 per cent in Europe and other parts of the world. From these exports, the country generates an average annual earning of US$30 million in foreign exchange.

In celebrating the industry’s achievements and contribution to economic development, Grant pointed out that the coffee sector also creates jobs for 5,000 coffee farmers and provides income for 102,000 coffee farm families across the island, thus developing rural communities where Jamaica Blue Mountain and High Mountain coffees are cultivated.

Though Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is world-renowned for its quality, the product is not protected by geographical indication (GI) under the Madrid Protocol. The Jamaica Coffee Exporters’ Association and the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority last year disclosed that they would have sought GI protection for the brand from the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Grant also shared that the industry has also had to deal with the challenges presented by the novel coronavirus pandemic, including supply chain issues.