Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Franklin Witter, addresses the International Coffee and National Cocoa Day Celebration held on Wednesday (October 1) at Emancipation Park in St. Andrew.

Jamaica’s globally renowned coffee and cocoa industries were celebrated on Wednesday, October 1, at the International Coffee Day and National Cocoa Day event held at Emancipation Park in St. Andrew. The event highlighted the cultural and economic significance of these two treasured commodities and their growing impact on the global marketplace.

Delivering the keynote address, Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Franklin Witter, praised the quality of Jamaican coffee and cocoa, stating “For generations, Jamaican cocoa has been renowned for its unique richness and flavour, producing chocolate that is second to none anywhere in the world. Today, it continues to present tremendous opportunities for our farmers, processors, and exporters, with the potential to scale even greater heights in global demand.”

While celebrating the achievements of the industries, State Minister Witter acknowledged the challenges they face, including climate change, crop diseases such as coffee leaf rust and frosty pod rot, and limited access to affordable inputs. He also noted the increasing global demand for traceability, certification, and quality assurance.

To address these issues, the Ministry, through agencies such as the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA), has invested J$35 million to support over 4,000 coffee farmers in the Blue Mountains. This support includes clean planting material, fertilisers, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and plant stimulants.

Minister Witter also outlined ongoing efforts to combat crop diseases and expand cultivation with strategies including pruning, fungicide treatments, and farmer training. He added that the Ministry is focused on crop rotation and expansion, which he says will “see the planting of approximately two million new coffee plants and nearly 1.5 million grafted cocoa trees,” that will help to “restore aging farms, replace diseased trees, and expand cultivation in new areas.”

Looking ahead, the government plans to scale up crop expansion programmes, strengthen extension services, and improve infrastructure, among other initiatives, to further support the industries.

Notwithstanding the government’s contributions, the state minister stressed that achieving growth requires collaborative effort.

“Farmers, I urge you to adopt the best practices, care for your trees, and embrace the new tools and training being provided. Processors and exporters, continue to uphold quality and invest in packaging, branding, and innovation. Consumers, continue to buy local, drink Jamaican coffee, eat Jamaican chocolate, and support our farmers.”

“Our youth, see the opportunities. Agriculture today is no longer about a cutlass and fork. It is science, technology, branding, and global trade. There is space for all you young persons to invest in agriculture sector, specifically coffee and cocoa production,” he added.

The Ministry remains committed to supporting Jamaica’s coffee and cocoa industries through policy development, investment, infrastructure, training, and market access.

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