Coffee Farmers Trade Day on March 14

Coffee farmers in Portland, St. Andrew and St. Thomas are being invited to attend a ‘Farmers’ Trade Day’, slated for Tuesday, March 14, at the Alfred Sangster Auditorium, University of Technology (UTech) Jamaica, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

The event is being organised by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA), with support from the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).

It is among activities being hosted ahead of the sixth annual Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival on March 25 in Newcastle, St. Andrew.

Director, Tourism Linkages Network, Carolyn McDonald Riley, told JIS News that the Farmers’ Trade Day is a “one day expo which targets farmers, especially those in the coffee industry”.

“Our farmers are a big part of our coffee product. They are the ones who plant [it]. So, each year, we have a workshop that is designed to help them come up with sustainable farming practices,” she said.

Mrs. McDonald Riley noted that participants will explore, among other things, changes in the farming industry, especially those related to coffee.

“Persons who support the industry will be on hand, and there will be lots of exciting giveaways,” she added, while pointing out that coffee will be celebrated throughout March.

“We will be doing lots of exciting activities that we call ‘Sip n’ Shop.’ At a number of the different coffee locations, we’ll be having lots of exciting giveaways, discounted prices, and you can also purchase your tickets for the coffee festival,” Mrs. McDonald Riley said.

Tickets for the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival can be purchased online at www.touchstonelink.com or from authorised vendors such as Blue Brews Bistro, Rituals Coffee House, Starbucks, Cannon Ball Café, Café Blue, Island Coffees Café, and Deaf Can Coffee. The prices are $5,000 for adults and $3,000 for children, 12 years and older.

A flagship event of the Ministry of Tourism, the festival aims to leverage gastronomy as a medium for diversifying Jamaica’s tourism product.