The
revival of the National Fruit-Tree Crop Project by the Ministry of Agriculture
as stated in my blog article entitled
“Breadfruit
and Fruit Tree Revival coming under RADA's National Fruit-Tree Crop Project -
Red Stripe and Agro-Investment Corporation an example of how Agriculture
benefits both Farmer and GOJ” is apparently bearing fruit since January
2014.
Pun
intended of course!
This
as we're now set to export Mangoes to the United States of America come January
2015 as stated in the article “Jamaican
Mangoes get nod for US$500-m American market”, published Sunday, September
28, 2014 BY TERRON DEWAR Business
reporter, The Jamaica Observer
and “Approval
given for Mango exports to the U.S.”6:03 am, Tuesday February 4, 2014, The RJR Communications Group.
This
isn't a new initiative, as around the same time as the revival of the National
Fruit-Tree Crop Project earlier in January 2014, Minister of Agriculture and
Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke, had mentioned that the US of A had given Jamaica
permission to export Mangoes to that country. This as per his statements
reliably recorded by the Horses' Mouth in the article “Exporters to Pay More for Yam”,
published February 3, 2014 by Garfield L. Angus, The
Jamaica Information Service.
The
approval to export Mangoes to the US of A was the result of constant lobbying
since 2009 via a so-called “market access request” initiated under by the JLP
(Jamaica Labour Party's) Minister of Agriculture Dr. Christopher Tufton and
brought forward by Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke
before his untimely passing.
To
quote Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke: “We are looking
to find an investor to put up that plant.
If we are able to export Mangoes into the US, there would be no
competition. What we see there is not the same quality of Mangoes we have
here”.
So
now that we’ve got a date set for January 2015, how many Mangoes have we
exported to the US of A or anywhere for that matter? And what does Jamaica have
to do to be able to export Mangoes to America?
Jamaica to export Mangoes
to America - Exports less than 0.1% of US Demand need expanding
Not
sure if they found that investor yet, but a Processing Plant will be needed to
meet the requirements of the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in
order to export Mangoes to the US of A.
A few quick facts as to why exporting Mangoes to the US of A is so lucrative:
1. US$500
million market in the US of A for Local Farmers
2. US$1.2
million to US$1.6 million worth of Mangoes exported annually over the past
decade
3. US$1.9
billion Global Demand for Mangoes in 2013
This
might be a problem, as the Mangoes are mainly to be sourced from 14 Mango
orchards in Jamaica. These orchards, 10 in St Thomas and 2 in St James, ranging
in size from 2 to 150 hectares of mostly Julie and East Indian Mangoes.
Combined, this gives Jamaica to capacity to export some 261,000 kilogrammes of Mangoes
to the US per annum, estimated to be 0.1% of current demand from the US of A.
That demand is estimated to be valued at some US$360 million to about US$500
million, triple the level of US$180 million in 2003.
Oddly,
America’s share of global demand for Mangoes fell from 30% ten (10) years ago
to some 26%. That's because their new fruit of passion is the Banana, which
they love so much that the import huge amounts of the fruit from farms in Latin
America owned by American company Chiquita Banana.
So
before this deal where were we exporting Mangoes? Mainly Canada and the United
Kingdom who received 670,000 kg of the fruit, netting Jamaica some US$1.5
million in foreign exchange.
That's
a good sign and already this year, we're on track to export over 500,000 kg of Mangoes.
Jamaica needs to expand capacity if we're to even increase past 0.1% of US
demand, even if the Mango isn't their favorite fruit.
Mangoes Processing
Plant - Radiation Therapy and Hot Water Baptism to Tap US Market
In
a manner similar to the construction of the new Sorrel Drink Processing Plant
in Bethel Town, Westmoreland by the
Bethel Town Agricultural Cooperative Society
as described in my blog article entitled
“How
to make Jamaican Sorrel Wine – JA$2500 for 5 1 Liter Bottles of Sorrel Wine
goes well with Chocolate Christmas Cake”, Mango farmers may have to seek
assistance from the JSIF (Jamaica Social Investment Fund) to expand their farms
capacity and process the Mangoes.
The
Mangoes have to conform to the standards of the US Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, which requires a Processing Plant costing some US$20
million. Realizing that this requires a partnership, the Ministry of
Agriculture is seeking Private Sector partnership as noted by Sheila Harvey, Chief
Plant Quarantine and Produce Inspector at the Ministry of Agriculture.
And
trust me the requirements are very strict. Jamaica has been banned from
exporting to the US of A for 30 years due to the presence of the West Indian
Fruit Fly (Anastrepha obliqua) and
the Caribbean Fruit Fly (Anastrepha
suspensa).
To
remove the larvae of these pest, which is often deeply embedded in the Mango’s
skin, they have to be either treated to a hot water immersion bath or
Irradiation using a Cobalt-60 source similar to that used in older X-Ray
Machines. Also, the fruits have to come from the 14 or more designated farms as
registered with the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
That's
US$20 million worth of Mango Processing Plant and regulations to tap into a
shrinking market of US$360 million for Mangoes in the US of A. But if a
Radiation Therapy and Hot Water Baptism to Tap US Market is what's required
with a little Private Sector help, then it's worth it.
Let’s
hope the Ministry of Agriculture also looks into the sale of VAS (Value Added
Services) such as Mango Wine, Beverages and Jams to the Americans, as have a
feeling they’ll be wanting something to drink and spread on their bread as
well!
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