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Agri-Business In Jamaica
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With the groundwork in place to ensure favourable returns
on your investment, Jamaica offers a range of viable production areas in Agribusiness for
you to choose from. You may want to check man power
avaliability for Jamaica's pool of qualified human resource.
- Ornamental Horticulture:
- Cut flowers
anthuriums, orchids, calla lillies, red and pink
ginger lillies, heliconias, birds of paradise.
- Cut Foliage:
Philodendrons, crotons, ficus, ti-leaves, leather
leaf ferns.
Jamaica has been a major supplier of
these items to the United States, Canada and Europe.
- Aquaculture:
This is an increasingly attractive agribusiness
investment. Inland rearing of hybrid perch (Tilapia) is done successfully.
Customers hoteliers, local householders and restaurateurs with increasing quantities
exported as whole and fillets to the United States and to an emerging markets in Europe
and Canada.
Opportunities also exist in tropical
ornamental fish, fresh water lobster and marine shrimp.
- Roots Crops:
Traditional small farmer crops such as yams,
dasheen, cocoaes and eddoes are exported to ethnic markets in the U.S.A., Canada and the
United Kingdom. There has been a dramatic increase in exports over the past years and a
concentrated effort is now underway to shift to large scale production of a wider range of
products to meet a growing demand for these items.
- Herbs & Spices:
Ginger grown in the interior, is known world-wide
for its flavour and taste. Other spice crops including hot peppers, pimento and vanilla.
There are growing opportunities for a wide range of culinary herbs including thyme, basil,
marjoram, oregano.
- Orchard Crops:
Increased world market demand has resulted in an
expansion in orchard production including coffee, avocados, exotic tropical fruits such as
mangoes, papayas, and citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits. These crops attract
premium prices in North America, and Europe.
- Fresh Vegetables
Jamaica's year-long growing seasons affords a
wonderful opportunity to supply segments of North American winter markets with such crops
as cucumbers, pumpkins, cantaloupe, honeydew melons, snap beans and bell peppers.
Lucrative markets for fresh vegetables are also to be found in the local hotels and
restaurants.
- Processed Foods:
Jamaica's exotic and gourmet food products have
been gaining increasing acceptance in overseas niche markets, particularly in North
America and Europe. Products for which there is great potential for increased production
and export include jams, jellies, sauces, processed spices, jerk seasoning, fruit
puree‚ and essential oils.
- Livestock:
The rearing of beef and dairy cattle, goats and
pigs are pursued mainly to satisfy local consumption of meat, milk and dairy products.
Intensive feedlot rearing is considered most appropriate for meeting existing demands,
particularly in hotels and restaurants.
- Market Access
Producers located in Jamaica can take advantage of
a number of preferential trading arrangements:-
- The Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) :
Most agricultural and agro-industrial products
qualify. In the case of manufactured items duty free status is applicable as long as the
product meets the greater than 35% value added criterion.
- LOM� IV:
Allows for duty free and quota free entry of
eligible products into the European Union.
- CARIBCAN:
Grants duty-entry access to the Canadian market
for Jamaican products.
- CARICOM:
A common market trade agreement between 12
Caribbean nations including Jamaica.
JAMPRO also has market development
programmes for Europe and Canada.
- Target Europe:
A trade and investment promotion programme to
foster business development. This programme is aimed at introducing Jamaican producers and
investors to the dynamic European market as well as other targeted markets. The programme
offers technical and financial assistance to investors with a view to increasing market
penetration for Jamaica's exports. Agribusiness is one of three initial targeted areas.
- CANEXPORT:
An export promotion programme to increase market
penetration in Canada. The programme focuses on non-traditional export items in the areas
of fresh produce, floriculture and processed foods.
Related Links:
Courtesy JAMPRO |
