FAO set to fire up hot pepper market

The Government of Jamaica has partnered with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to boost the island’s international competitiveness in the hot pepper industry.

The project, titled, ‘Improving Phytosanitary, Food Safety and Market Access Opportunities along the Hot Pepper Value Chain in Jamaica’, which got under way last year is being implemented through the Standard and Trade Facility of the World Trade Organization. It aims to provide support to improve the institutional capacity for farmers to produce high-quality peppers on a consistent basis, while improving market access conditions. It is expected to be completed by 2025.

FAO representative to Jamaica, The Bahamas and Belize, Dr Crispim Moreira, told Wednesday’s launch of the project at the Bureau of Standards Jamaica, that the project is strongly aligned with two of the agency’s principles: better production and better nutrition. He reminded the audience that culturally, the world fully acknowledges the magnetic effect of brand Jamaica.

“The Jamaican Scotch Bonnet and red peppers are regarded as spice royalty among international food-lovers. Despite peppers being a hot commodity in local and international cuisine, the journey from farm to table is a long and complex one,” Dr Moreira warned, citing soil-borne pathogens and improper handling and storage as among the many risks that can compromise food safety. “For this reason, the FAO will be investing heavily in the technical and research capacity of local research and regulatory bodies,” he said.

Dr Moreira explained that by focussing on research, the project was aiming to eliminate constraints, from the input stage through to the availability of clean planting material and technologies, in order to reduce the spread of pests and diseases.

Researchers note that the demand for Jamaican hot peppers remains consistently high, with production figures over the past five years showing a 39-per-cent increase moving from 14,263 metric tonnes in 2012, to 19,850 metric tonnes in 2021. Export revenue moved from US$1,539,000 to US$2,681,000 in 2019.

However, with the global market value for hot peppers at a whopping US$4,100,000,000 Jamaica’s potential earnings from this export niche are nowhere near being realised.

Among the constraints to this potential growth is meeting the compliance and application of international food safety and phyto-sanitary standards, as well as producing sufficient quantities to provide a consistent supply of high-quality hot peppers.

Dr. Moreira said that through improvement of local capacity in phyto-sanitary and food-safety standards, all members of the value chain stand to benefit significantly. Additionally, consumers can look forward to safer and higher-quality products.

“For farmers, improved standards can mean increased productivity and better market access, and for exporters it can mean easier access to international markets and increased revenue,” Dr Moreira said.

Source: JIS