United States partners with Jamaica to revitalise local spice industry
Through the launch of the US Department of Agriculture Food for Progress Jamaica Spices project, the US Department of Agriculture is striving to revitalize Jamaica’s spice business.
This USDA-funded initiative will assist 7,500 farmers and agricultural market systems, including women, youth, and other marginalized groups, in creating a more diverse and vibrant spice sector and contributing to a 50% increase in ginger, turmeric, and pimento through improved planting material and management practices.
“The launch has brought together the entirety of the spice value chain under one roof,” said Dr Ronald Blake, Chief of Party for the US Department of Agriculture Food for Progress Jamaica Spices.
“This event marks the beginning of collaborations with key Jamaica agricultural agencies, such as the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA), Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Mining, that will lead to a stronger spice sector and global recognition of Jamaican spices,” Blake added.
The Food for Progress Jamaica Spices project, funded by the US Department of Agriculture, is a five-year initiative that will revitalize the spice sector in order to meet existing export and domestic demand for turmeric, ginger, and pimento.
The project will result in a more diverse, inclusive, sustainable, and climate-resilient spice sector, with yearly sales of $20 million and export sales of $13.5 million.
