Shipment of Banana Leaves for Trinidad Dec. 25

A shipment of 36,000 pounds of internationally certified bananas, destined for Trinidad and Tobago, is to depart the island on Monday (December 25).

The green bananas, which have been packed into 900 boxes, will be the first of weekly shipments to that country over the next six months.

In preparation for next week’s shipment, the packages were placed in the container on Thursday (December 21) on the compound of the Agriculture Export Centre (AMC Complex), located on Spanish Town Road in Kingston.

The produce was then inspected by Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Karl Samuda.

The Minister said he is buoyed by the shipment, which represents the Government’s work to redevelop the banana industry and boost exports of the produce.

“This export to Trinidad is very encouraging, and I am extremely pleased with what I see and the level of efficiency in the packaging,” he said.

The Minister noted that this is also in keeping with the thrust to enter new markets, beginning with CARICOM.

“We have to start by working within our community, and CARICOM is an extended local market, so we are learning what we have to learn (by) being competitive within our domestic market,” he said.

Mr. Samuda said he is also encouraged by the work that is being done by The Banana Board, the hard-working farmers, and other stakeholders, noting that “it’s the beginning of a long road and there are challenges along the way… but you have the ability to overcome those challenges”.

For her part, General Manager, The Banana Board, Janet Conie, said she is pleased that the entity has reached this landmark in the turnaround for the banana industry.

The General Manager said she is especially pleased that Trinidad is a new market for Jamaica’s bananas, which will be receiving a Global Good Agricultural Practices (GLOBALGAP) certified product.

GLOBALGAP is an internationally recognised set of farm standards. This certification is reassurance that food reaches accepted levels of safety and quality, and has been produced sustainably, respecting the health, safety and welfare of workers, the environment, and in consideration of animal-welfare issues

CARITA Jamaica Limited has been contracted to package and ship the bananas on behalf of the Government.

The Government has been working to consistently increase the exportation of bananas through the Banana Export Expansion Programme, which is geared towards increasing banana production with international standards, and developing the industry through technical and infrastructural support.