KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries and Industry, Investment and Commerce have welcomed the news that Nestlé Jamaica is partnering with Stoneleigh Coffee to process locally, package and market, 100 percent Jamaican coffee for the premium markets in Jamaica and abroad. “This significant development represents Nestlé’s entry into coffee manufacturing in Jamaica and we are confident that the partnership will be sustainable, profitable and serve as a catalyst for new investments in our coffee industry as well as elsewhere in our country’s agro industrial sector,” said Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon.
Audley Shaw. Minister Shaw, said that while raw material imports for export manufacture was often unavoidable and prudent, the policy of the Government of Jamaica is to promote the use of local raw materials and facilitate value-added production using domestic primary products.
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Floyd Green commended the partners to the deal while observing that the Nestle’s partnership with Stoneleigh Coffee is both long-term and substantial.
“The deal which comes close to the beginning of the 2020/21 coffee crop year beset by depressed prices for cherry coffee, a prolonged drought in many coffee producing areas, and COVID-19 challenges including the downturn in the tourist industry resulting in the build-up of local coffee inventories, is most welcomed. This development will not only absorb some of the excess coffee, but will generate cash-flow throughout the value chain and income to our coffee farmers who have been hard-hit by the recent challenges.
“Going forward, the strategic partnership will give a new fillip to our efforts to promote 100 percent Jamaican coffee and an incremental increase in the percentage of local coffee in the product manufactured here in Jamaica. The increased demand for our local coffee will impact the welfare of our farmers, ensure their ability to earn a decent living and enable them to maintain their farms and apply the inputs necessary for optimum production and productivity”, he declared.
Meanwhile, the Nestlé Jamaica co-manufacturing arrangement with Stoneleigh has been hailed by Chairman of the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority, (JACRA), Dennis Boothe, as a timely development. “JACRA’s role as regulator and facilitator is focused on the sustainable and orderly development of the sector and this we do to inspire confidence in our regulatory function, attract investments and grow businesses in the national interest and in a manner that benefits all stakeholders more so, the small farmers who are the backbone of the industry”.
Stoneleigh, which is a Jamaican company, principally owned by coffee pioneer St Clair Shirley and sons, David and Stephen, will process and package the coffee from its factory at Mavis Bank, in the foot-hills of the Blue Mountains in St Andrew, while the new product, Nescafe Jamaican Roast will be marketed and distributed internationally as well as locally in supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, offices and catering services by the Swiss-owned company, Nestlé Jamaica Limited.
