Farmers have been urged to support the development of Jamaica’s hot pepper value chain in order to increase supply to manufacturers in the agro-processing industry.

The call was made by Janine Fletcher-Taylor, manager for the marketing services unit at Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) during a JBDC-led training workshop attended by approximately 72 hot pepper farmers from St Ann, St Mary, St Catherine, Clarendon, and St Elizabeth.

“Pepper is a growing concern for Jamaica because more than maybe 50 per cent of the agro-processed products that we churn out utilise pepper as one of its main ingredients. That means that in terms of all the crops that can be recommended for farmers to grow, this would be one of those critical ones needed by our productive sector,” Fletcher-Taylor said.

Asserting that a harmonious partnership along this value chain could positively benefit both the agriculture and manufacturing sectors, the JBDC marketing services manager believes it will be worthwhile to explore.

“The manufacturers often rely on a consistent and high-quality supply of raw materials, while the agricultural sector finds stability and market demand for its products [therefore] by collaborating and optimising their processes, both sides, as a result, will stand to gain,” she stated.

With several farmers now selling their hot pepper produce at farm gates and only benefiting from the crop in its lowest form, Fletcher-Taylor used the opportunity to encourage farmers at the workshop to diversify sales by supplying the demand for produce among agro-processors.

“Jamaican manufactures should also diversify by innovating agro-processed goods beyond pepper sauces. Pepper sauces have been around for a long time, but the use of pepper can go far beyond that. We are seeing some amount of diversification in agro-processing with producers blending pepper with other ingredients to create products like pepper jelly,” she added.

In highlighting the global recognition of scotch bonnet pepper as a key element of Brand Jamaica, she likewise underscored the growing international demand for Jamaican-made products.

“We have a brand called jerk, and anything that qualifies to use the term ‘jerk’ in front of it must, in fact, include pepper,” she noted.

Pointing to the important role of JDBC’s agro-processing incubator in moving smaller players along the value chain, Fletcher-Taylor said the facility in Kingston, which was developed to increase the export capacity of micro and small agro-processors, can also aid the ability of farmers to produce goods that satisfy the required standards for entry to desired markets while also strengthening and promoting Jamaican-made products.

The recent workshop, held under the theme ‘Improving phytosanitary, food safety, and market access opportunities along the hot pepper value chain in Jamaica’, came as part of a six-week workshop staged as part of the Agricultural and Insurance Product capacity training series. Fifteen sessions focusing on entrepreneurial mindset, strategic planning, financial management, and business registration were included in the activities.

The project, funded by the Standards and Trade Development Facility and implemented by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), was also done in collaboration with the Bureau of Standards Jamaica and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Project Manager Sanniel Wilson-Graham, in encouraging farmers to stay true to the value chain approach, said that more focus is now being placed on assisting farmers to build up capacity and to better manage money earned from their crops.