2010-04-12
JBDC Assisting Community Groups to Improve Indigenous Products
For almost two years, the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), through its Product Development initiative, has been assisting several community groups with technical support to improve the quality of indigenous items they produce.
This initiative, funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), also involves the introduction of new items to the range of products manufactured by these groups.
Noting that “a lot of good work” is taking place under the project, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the JBDC, Valerie Veira, said that the agency has worked with several community groups, such as the Maroons at Flagstaff, St. James.
“We have done work with them…looking at what they have, and how we can refine it. And (there are) other communities, where we are actually looking at production and seeing how we can help them,” Miss Veira notes.
She says the JBDC has worked with the Maroons in printing their symbols on T-shirts. “You don’t want to print on cheap things, because the history of the Maroons is too rich to be printing on cheap material. So, it’s how you raise the quality. We sent our screen printer to assist them with the methodology…how do you refine the image,” she points out.
The project is part of efforts by the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, to strengthen the small business sector through technical support and business development services, and to assist entrepreneurs to adopt a culture of perfection.
Portfolio Minister, Hon. Karl Samuda, has long stressed the importance of adhering to the highest standards of quality in the manufacture of Jamaican products.
He says that while many products, especially clothing, were unique and well designed, attention to detail “is what makes the difference in the purchaser from overseas buying or rejecting a product.”
“What we need to do to take advantage of our position now is to ensure that the quality is at a standard that satisfies international requirements. Not simply to say that because it’s catering initially to the domestic market and domestic consumers that it’s okay and it will pass; it won’t pass,” he states.
Even though the Product Development initiative will draw to a close within a few months, Ms. Veira said that she has a vision of further advancing the Maroon culture, in particular its cuisine.
“I would like to see us going back to understanding recipes from Maroons because that is a unique product…I want to see some more foods coming out of the Maroon groups. There is a lot that (can) happen with the food… to really move it to a professional level,” she says.
Also benefitting from the project is a group of women from St. Thomas, who according to Ms. Veira, make “really beautiful craft” from paper produced from banana fibre. She says that the JBDC offers practical advice to the group to aid in further enhancing their creations, thereby making them more marketable.
“We have another group out in St. Mary, who, these ladies were doing handbags and tablecloths, and so on… but it needed some refinement for the market. So we worked with them…we explained that ‘you can’t mix certain raw materials if you want a good price...and you have to understand trends. So you can’t just put some colours because that’s the thread you have,” she says.
Another area being looked at under the Product Development initiative, the CEO informs, is the manufacturing of confectioneries, which includes “the old time candy, drops, grater cake and busta.”
She says that the JBDC works with the Scientific Research Council (SRC) to ensure that “those old time formulations” are documented. We have to (determine) how do you preserve them…how do you extend the shelf life without adding a lot of preservatives to it. Those are things that we are working on,” she says.
“I have said to my staff, ‘I want to see them (confectioneries) nicely displayed in our Things Jamaican shops,’ because we have done some of our own boxes. I want to see the old time peppermint sticks, from my grandmother’s days; ginger logs, those kinds of things, nicely packaged,” Miss Veira adds.
The JBDC assists businesses, particularly micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) with business and technical support services. These include guiding business start-up, providing training, and offering consultancy advice for established businesses.