Samuda to Meet with Coffee Growers

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, the Hon. Karl Samuda, is to meet with coffee growers from the Blue Mountain area to discuss their concerns regarding the current price of coffee.
The meeting is in response to the farmers’ request in light of their discontent over the price per box of Blue Mountain Coffee beans that they currently earn from the marketing companies.
The farmers are reporting a current selling price of $6,000 per box, which, they say, cannot cover their input costs.
Members of the Blue Mountain Coffee Growers’ Association requested the meeting with the Minister during a protest demonstration at the Ministry’s Hope Gardens location today, Monday, September 18, where they met with Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr Donovan Stanberry.
Mr Stanberry explained to the farmers that the buyers and exporters of Blue Mountain Coffee had explained to the Ministry in a meeting held some three weeks ago that prices for the current crop year would be determined following a meeting with coffee importers in Japan.
The exporters are in Japan this week for consultation with the Japanese firms, who purchase the bulk of the local commodity.
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Contact:

Director, Communication & Public Relations
Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries
Hope Gardens, Kingston 6
T – 927-1731-50 / 618-7128; E: pr2@micaf.gov.jm; daoconnor@micaf.gov.jm
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