President of the Jamaica Coffee Exporters Association says “The Jamaica Coffee Exporters Association (JCEA) in partnership with Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA) has embarked on a National Coffee Farmer Registration and Tracking System (FRATS) aimed at registering all coffee farms and farmers in Jamaica in both the Jamaica Blue Mountain and Non Blue Mountain regions . The JCEA is in full support of the coffee farmers registration programme as it is very important for the strategic repositioning and development of the Jamaica Coffee Industry”.
The coffee registration will help to:
1. Manage Praedial Larceny which now cost the agricultural sector an estimated $6 billion
2. Develop an Insurance Programme and Framework for coffee farmers and farm
3. Enhance the development and expansion of the Jamaica Coffee Industry through increase production and productivity.
4. Assist in the planning and administrating of farmers support programmes
Grant says further that based on information received from JACRA, the Authority has indicated that all coffee farmers must be registered by July 31, 2019 in order to sell cherry coffee to the processors on August 1, which marks the start of the new crop year 19/20. He also stated that to date Four Thousand One Hundred and Sixty Seven (4,167) farmers of the total Four Thousand Five Hundred and Seventy Eight (4,578) coffee farms were registered.
Grant says “The JCEA is appealing to the over five thousand five hundred (5,000) coffee suppliers in the Jamaica Blue Mountain and non- Blue Mountain areas to ensure that their have your farms registered before the deadline. If you are not already a registered coffee farmer we encourage you to contact JACRA or any of the member companies of the Jamaica Coffee Exporters Association”.
He further stated “The JCEA would also like to applaud JACRA and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF) for resuming the distribution of fertilizer under MICAF Fertilizer Assistance, Supplies and Training (FAST) (2017) Programme – Phase 2, which was launched almost two (2) years ago at an estimated value of Eighty (80) Million Dollars”.
The total amount thirteen thousand four hundred and thirteen (13,413) in twenty five pounds (25lbs) bags will be distributed; the target is seven hundred and fifty five (755) registered Jamaica Blue Mountain farmers from the FRATS 2018 exercise and three hundred and thirty five (335) Jamaica High Mountain farmers. The registered farmers provided the name of the coffee dealer which is primarily to sell cherry coffee; fertilizer distribution will be based on the declared tree count in the FRATA database and proportionally allocated.
For further information please do not hesitate to contact Norman Grant at 469-3242 or email ngrant@mbcfcoffee.com or any member of the Jamaica Coffee Exporters Association.
Yours faithfully,
Jamaica Coffee Exporters Association
Norman Washington Grant OD, JP
President 1-876-469-3242
Email: ngrant@mbcfcoffee.com
