Four Sauce and Spice Producers to Be Certified

Four companies that produce sauces and spices are to receive food-safety certification this fiscal year as the Government works to increase the competitiveness of food-processing entities, particularly in the export markets.

This will bring to six the number of firms in this industry to receive certification under the Economic Partnership Agreement II (EPA II) Capacity Building Project.

The project aims to support the Government in addressing trade deficits, accelerate exports, enhance competitiveness and integrate the economy into global markets.

A sum of $108.3 million has been allotted in the 2018/19 Estimates of Expenditure for the project to undertake the certification exercise along with other activities.

The funds will also be used to implement a marketing programme for the sauces and spices industry in four states in the United States of America.

In addition, the money will go towards the completion of a farmer-registration programme for the coffee industry, as well as the launch of a financing and insurance programme and completion of a seedling distribution programme.

Up to December 2017, the project supported 10 firms in the sauces and spices industry and four others in the coffee industry.

Additionally, the laboratories of the Plant Protection Unit within the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries were upgraded.

The project, which was originally slated to end in December 2017, was extended and is now scheduled to end in December 2019.

It is being implemented by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) with funding support from the European Union (EU).