European Union building Jamaica’s capacity to improve export performance

Greater food safety is the goal of a new project recently launched in Jamaica by the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ).

The two-year project will seek to provide the National Certification Body of Jamaica (NCBJ), a subsidiary of the BSJ, with capacity-building resources to assist and strengthen Jamaica’s production of safe foods for local consumption and export.

The European Union-sponsored project, valued at EUR 194,587, will establish NCBJ as Jamaica’s certification authority for food safety and its services will be accessible to the region.

It is envisioned that the private sector and consumers will benefit from the greater economic opportunities and safer food production. The sector has been challenged to export to some markets by the requirements not being in sync with current systems and processes for preparation of inputs and the quality of products.

As such, the NCBJ and BSJ, through this current project, will work with the private sector to address some of these gaps.

MSMES SPECIFICALLY TARGETED UNDER THIS PROJECT

The project specifically targets micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), because this segment of the private sector accounts for 80 per cent of employment in Jamaica and comprise more than 90 per cent of all enterprises listed on Jamaica’s tax register. The project also has a major component focused on the economic empowerment of women within the agro-processing sector.

The capacity-building project at the NCBJ is part of a wider Standby Facility of EUR 8.75-million resource managed by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). This facility offers opportunities to 15 Caribbean economies to grow trade, deepen integration and economic involvement and impact competitiveness, market access and exports by implementing targeted projects in thematic areas.

CDB Projects Director Daniel Best points out that, “these activities are part of our efforts to increase competitiveness and agricultural productivity by enabling increased market access.” This is being achieved with the provision of the requisite infrastructure to enable efficient agricultural value chains recognising its potential to tackle income insecurity.

EXPANDING BUSINESS ACCESS TO NEW MARKETS

Speaking at the recent launch of the NCBJ project, Best explained that the intent is to expand businesses’ access to new markets and diversify their existing products in order to increase sales and revenue. The project titled, Certification Services by the National Certification Body of Jamaica Project, which is managed by the CDB, will build capacity at the NCBJ to offer globally accepted testing and certification support in food safety management.

The initiative will also train a cadre of individuals locally to supervise existing food safety systems to maintain compliance with export requirements. EU ambassador to Jamaica, Marianne Van Steen, who also spoke at the launch, encouraged Jamaican businesses to do more to ensure access to the myriad opportunities available through trade with Europe and within the region.

She reiterated the EU’s commitment to strengthening the region’s capabilities in order to leverage the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). Acting BSJ Executive Director Dr Dwight Ramdon has pointed to the agency’s continued support to food processors through initiatives targeting MSMEs.

He contended that MSMEs will be better positioned leading to improved earnings for the country, as local food processors confidently enter major export markets. Representatives of Caricom and CARIFORUM, who also spoke at the launch, encouraged those targeted by the project in agro-processing and manufacturing to avail themselves of the impending opportunities.