Category: Press Release

JMEA & JAPA Advises on the Safety and Precautions of Buying and Consuming Ackee Locally

Kingston, Jamaica: The Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) and the Jamaica AgroProcessors Association (JAPA) are aware of the current widespread concerns regarding the safety of ackees, Jamaica’s national fruit. Particularly, concerns revolve around the safety of the fruit, whether the current drought has affected the natural process by which the fruit becomes detoxified (and thus safe for consumption) and unsafe practices that are reportedly being employed in preparing and offering the fruit for sale in our local market. The JMEA and JAPA, both entities that are advised by the best expertise available on ackees, can assure the public that ackees, handled and produced for consumption locally in accordance with well-known and well-established traditional practices and norms, are safe.

Extensive work done by researchers at the University of the West Indies (UWI) and Technological Solutions Limited (TSL), supported by historical data gathered by the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ), has characterized the stages of ripening of the fruit, its safety and (in 2005/2006) the impact of drought and weather-related conditions on the toxin content of the fruit. This work (which is published internationally) and the scientists that produced it, assure us that nothing has substantially changed over the years. Specifically, TSL also advises that current data confirm that ackees which were selected when fully opened, continue to be substantially free of hypoglycin, the toxin associated with ackee poisoning.

Over the last 25 years, members of the JMEA and JAPA, supported by this local expertise have invested heavily in the study of, and development of systems to ensure the safety of ackees processed for local consumption and for exports. This has resulted in canned ackees being amongst the safest of commercially processed products, whether offered for sale locally or exported. In fact, there has never been a credible incident of ackee poisoning reported for canned ackees in the more than 50 years that canned ackees have been offered for sale in Jamaica and internationally.

Besides representing a significant component of our processed food exports (valued at US$24.5 million in 2021), ackees are an important part of Jamaican culture. The JMEA and JAPA, therefore wish Jamaicans to be assured that their national fruit, whether produced for local sale or for export, continues to be safe. We urge consumers, however, to ensure that they know and trust the source from which they are getting the fruit and to use only fruit taken from fully ripened, wide open pods to prepare their favourite ackee meal.

For more information, please contact:
Shantole Thompson
Marketing & PR Manager, JMEA
shantole@jmea.org; 876-582-9742
OR
Bobique Brown
Marketing & PR Officer, JMEA
bobique@jmea.org; 876-232-9701

JMEA EXPLORES OPPORTUNITIES IN THE JAPANESE FOOD AND BEVERAGE MARKET
TOKYO, JAPAN – 07 MARCH 2023: A three-member delegation from the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) has arrived in Japan to participate in the FOODEX JAPAN 2023 Observation Tour—a strategic opportunity as Jamaican exporters seek greater access to the Japanese food and beverage market.
The Embassy of Jamaica in Tokyo secured the invitation and sponsorship from the Japan Management Association (JMA) for the delegation to attend the Observation Tour, as part of the 48th staging of the International Food and Beverage Exhibition (FOODEX JAPAN 2023) scheduled for March 07–10.
Over the next 4 days, the delegation comprising John Mahfood (President), Richard Pandohie (Immediate Past President) and Mrs. Kamesha Blake (Executive Director) will engage with and gain insights from the sponsors and exhibitors as the JMEA prepares to attend FOODEX JAPAN as a full exhibitor in 2024. The JMEA will seek to increase market opportunities for Jamaican products with an initial focus on spices, condiments and beverages.
At the close of day one, JMEA President John Mahfood shared: “Tremendous effort on the part of the Embassy of Jamaica in Tokyo to arrange this visit for us. FOODEX JAPAN is an interesting expo with over 3000 exhibitors showcasing thousands of products. It is valuable for businesses in the industry to attend this event and get new ideas, especially when considering new markets. From the JMEA’s perspective, we hope to have several of our members showcasing products at next year’s expo.”
The invitation to FOODEX JAPAN comes as the Embassy of Jamaica in Tokyo continues to actively engage Japanese partners together with Rodney Reid, Jamaica’s Honorary Investment Adviser (HIA) in Japan, to explore opportunities for Jamaican exporters. The Embassy and HIA have been working closely under the Government of Jamaica’s Economic Diplomacy Programme (EDP) to strengthen links with the Japanese private sector to boost Jamaica’s trade and investment prospects in this region.
Jamaica’s Ambassador to Japan, Shorna-Kay Richards, shared that: “With the launch of the new EDP, a joint initiative between the Jamaican Foreign Ministry and JAMPRO, our embassies have had an increased role in promoting Jamaica’s trade and investment agenda. This is a role that we fully embrace. The Embassy and HIA are therefore pleased that our engagement with the JMA led to this opportunity for the Jamaican private sector.”
“Since Prime Minister Holness visited Japan in 2019, there has been a greater push to strengthen economic ties between Jamaica and Japan. The JMEA’s participation in the Observation Tour is another important step in these efforts. Japan is a longstanding partner with links to several key sectors in Jamaica thanks to the coffee, cotton and motor vehicle trades. We want to expand these links and balance our trading relationship with Japan by creating opportunities for Jamaican exporters.”

In welcoming the JMEA’s participation, JAMPRO’s VP of Marketing Gabriel Heron added that: “JAMPRO fully supports the participation of John Mahfood and his team who, together with the support of the Jamaican Embassy in Tokyo, will unearth the potential export opportunities presented by FOODEX JAPAN. It promises to be a very insightful observatory tour as we focus on getting our private sector into new markets for trade and investment under the EDP initiative.”
To round off the week’s activities, the Embassy will be arranging a series of engagements for the JMEA executives with key Japanese government entities, including the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The Agency’s export promotion experts with experience in Latin American and the Caribbean will meet with the delegation to discuss market entry strategies for Japan. The Embassy will also host a networking dinner with representatives from the Japanese public and private sectors who are involved in various areas of the bilateral agenda between Jamaica and Japan.
FOODEX JAPAN is one of the largest food and beverage exhibitions in Asia. Held every year since 1976, FOODEX JAPAN has

For more information:

Contact:

Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association
E-mail: jmea@jmea.org or kamesha@jmea.org
Telephone: +1 (876) 922-8880
OR
Embassy of Jamaica in Tokyo
E-mail: info@jamaicaembassy.jp
Telephone: +81 (0) 3-3435-1861

JMEA, Honey Bun Foundation sign MOU to empower SMEs
Local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are set to get a big boost by way of an Advisory Committee Model developed by The Honey Bun Foundation, which will be adopted by the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) to benefit its member companies.

On Wednesday, March 1, 2023, leaders of the JMEA and The Honey Bun Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), giving JMEA member companies, 30 per cent of which are categorized as ‘small companies’, access to the model and indicating the JMEA’s commitment to follow the Foundation’s tried and tested strategic roadmap to help give the businesses a boost.

“One of my biggest dreams was for the Foundation to partner with the JMEA. This marks a very important day for me,” said Michelle Chong, Founder of The Honey Bun Foundation at the signing ceremony held at Honey Bun’s Retirement Crescent offices in Kingston. “We want this programme to reach across the breadth of Jamaica to help small businesses grow. We are going to use this to change Jamaica,” she added.

President of the JMEA, John Mahfood in commending Chong on her initiative, said, “Not only does she care a lot, but she also wants to do something for the economic benefit of Jamaica. What the Honey Bun Foundation is doing will reach more people. The strength of the JMEA with a small nimble organisation like the Honey Bun Foundation, is going to help the process of getting to those companies who we need to help.”

The Honey Bun Foundation, which is the philanthropic arm of Honey Bun Limited, developed the Advisory Committee Model as part of its mandate to create various business empowerment models for SMEs to help them grow and thrive. The Advisory Committee Model pairs qualifying SMEs with teams of expert advisors from various fields. The SMEs follow the guidance of the experts for a period of 12 months, while utilizing a strategic roadmap developed by the Foundation. The engagement between SMEs and the Advisors follows clearly outlined terms of engagement that ensure accountability.

The Honey Bun Foundation recently closed the first run of its Advisory Committee Model which it led with the support of a team of advisors, dubbed ‘Nation Builders’, who guided participating SMEs to unprecedented results, with one business reporting a 30 per cent jump in profits.

Contact:
Shantole Thompson, Marketing & PR Manager
shantole@jmea.org; 876-582-9742
OR
Bobique Brown, Marketing & PR

JMEA Partners with Caribshopper to Increase Exports for Member Companies
The Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) have partnered with Caribshopper, an e-commerce marketplace that allows the Caribbean consumer to shop US retailers & Caribbean retailers all from one central app. This initiative was launched Thursday, February 23rd, 2023 at Outpost Republic, 80 Lady Musgrave Road, Kingston Jamaica.

Under this established partnership, JMEA member companies especially micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will have the opportunity to compete in the world market as they tend to have a great deal of difficulty in appointing distributors in countries like the USA, UK, and Canada. President of the JMEA, John Mahfood, said that this gives manufacturers and by extension Jamaica, a chance to be on par with other international companies. “Companies will just have to ensure that their products are well priced, of good quality, and attractive” Mahfood expressed. He further advised manufacturers to be patient with having their products on the e-commerce market as the bulk of sales will come over time and there is a good long-term benefit.

CEO of Caribshopper, Kadion Preston, said that the decision to partner with the JMEA was a strategic one that has been in the works for over a year. “Caribshopper will be putting ourselves together to see how we can move the dial whether through helping merchants to better price their product which is a problem or how to get stronger digitally and present their products,” he shared. Preston noted that Caribshopper was founded on the premise of Caribbean pride, “being able to show a wide range of what we make and the strength of our culture is important to myself and my team. So to be able to work closely with organizations like JMEA, it’s a very happy day for us and it is a success.”

In 2022, Caribshopper sent over 68,000 packages to North America and Canada and is currently making plans to expand to the UK through its partnership with JAMPRO. With this success, member companies are expected to thrive on Caribshopper’s online marketplace and the JMEA is hopeful that there will be an increase in the value of exports. Speaking at the ceremony, Sandra McLeish, Managing Director of Sankhard Company Ltd. the parent company of Springvale Products, emphasized the reach that Caribshopper has. “Caribshopper allows us [Springvale Products] to get into places that through the traditional route we would not be able to reach. We are an example of the really small entity that is benefiting from being able to be on a platform like this and get our products out,” expressed McLeish.

Present at the signing ceremony were the Hon. Dr Norman Dunn, State Minister of the Ministry of Industry, Investment, and Commerce (MIIC) and Shullete Cox, President, JAMPRO all brought remarks echoing the importance of expanding exports and commending the Association on exploring all possible exporting avenues. Other notable attendees supported the remarks by noting that it is an exciting time to be a part of the exporting community in Jamaica.

JMEA’s Executive Director, Kamesha Blake, in giving the vote of thanks expressed gratitude to all attendees and participants for making the ceremony a success. She also used the opportunity to encourage full support for the upcoming Expo Jamaica that will be held on April 27-30, 2023 under the theme, Connecting the World to Jamaica. “I look forward to the business community being at Expo Jamaica where we will continue to display Brand Jamaica,” said Blake in closing the Partnership Signing Ceremony.

Contact:
Shantole Thompson, Marketing & PR Manager
shantole@jmea.org; 876-582-9742
OR
Bobique Brown, Marketing & PR Officer
bobique@jmea.org; 876-232-9701

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, plans are now in high gear for the staging of Expo Jamaica, April 27 – 30 2023.

The National Arena and the National Indoor Sports Centre will be transformed into a multi-sectoral exposition showcasing manufacturers, exporters, primary producers, tourism industry players, and service providers – creating a carefully-curated display of Jamaican products and services. According to Kamesha Blake, Executive Director of the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) “Expo Jamaica 2023 marks a return to the scale and breadth of pre-pandemic events. Unfortunately, Expo Jamaica was cancelled in April 2020, and only a virtual event was held in October 2021, so the Association is extremely excited for the first in-person expo since 2018.

Expo Jamaica showcases the prowess of the local productive sectors –all that Brand Jamaica has to offer the world! The long-standing event, first held in 1971 is the largest and most impactful trade show of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean. The show is firmly acknowledged as the go-to hub to identify quality local products and do business with Jamaican manufacturers and exporters. The JMEA as the organisers are very focused on ensuring that the event provides opportunities for increasing trade, exports and investment which is a part of the Association’s mandate, being the largest business development organisation in Jamaica for the productive sectors.

With the theme set around the clear goal of ‘Connecting the World to Jamaica’ according to Mrs. Blake, “Expo 2023 will feature a wide variety of booth exhibitors, industry influencers and brands that represent the local industry make-up. The event provides an excellent opportunity to discover and learn more about Jamaican products and services as it offers an excellent platform for local businesses to market their products as well as strengthen their brands and participate in high-value networking by connecting with both local and international buyers to solidify business expansion and exports.”

The four-day event will be divided into buyer and consumer days, with the buyers taking precedence on the first two days, April 27 and 28 to give an opportunity to businesses to make B2B connections. On the last two days, April 29-30, the Expo will open its doors to thousands of consumers who always look forward to booth exhibitions, product samples and to make purchases of locally manufactured goods and fresh produce.

Expo Jamaica has grown significantly in size and reputation to become the English-speaking Caribbean’s top tradeshow with an audience that returns mainly from the Caribbean, North and South America and Europe. The biennial event which in its last staging, 2018, attracted over two hundred and twenty (220) exhibitors, five hundred and seventy (570) buyers, and twenty-one thousand five hundred (21,500) consumers. As the world gets over the COVID-19 Pandemic, which sees tourist rushing to our shores and largescale events returning to in-person staging, the JMEA expects a massive turnout for Expo Jamaica. Exhibitors, sponsors and buyers are strongly encouraged to contact the JMEA to secure their space.

For further information contact:
Shanique Gordon
Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator, Expo Jamaica
Mobile: 876-817-5638
shanique@jmea.org

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