Attendees at the 2024 Fresh Produce Exporter Forum held in Kingston

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations partnered with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining for the annual Fresh Produce Exporter Forum. The two-part event, held in Kingston and Montego Bay respectively was organized by the Ministry’s Plant Quarantine and Produce Inspection Branch. Both forums brought together farmers, other agriculture stakeholders, regulators, and inspectors in export trade.

The exporters forum included presentations on general export procedures, fumigation, export opportunities, Plant Quarantine export process, import/export requirements. However, an important feature of this year’s forum and partnership was the focus on the hot pepper sub-sector. Through training conducted by the “Improving Phytosanitary and Market Access Opportunities along the Hot Pepper Value Chain” participants were guided through comprehensive presentation on the main components of the project. The training centered on the export market requirements for hot pepper, the hot pepper status report as well as the pest monitoring and surveillance.

The emphasis on the hot pepper value chain was in keeping with the FAO project’s main objective to increase awareness and build capacity of value chain actors such as exporters, to meet the international requirements regarding the export of the produce. Compliance with international standards, also require the exporters and key value chain actors to be aware of the pests of significance and other challenges affecting the sub-sector.

"We recognize the fresh produce export sector for its contribution to agricultural advancements and nation building. The export sector directly contributes to foreign exchange earnings and is responsible for spreading the Jamaican brand" throughout all continents” said Minister of State within the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries (MOAFM) and Mining, Hon. Franklin Witter in speaking at the Kingston segment of the event.

The Hot Pepper Value Chain Project and the MOAFM’s Plant Quarantine Produce Inspection Branch are working together to streamline information and resources to assist farmers and exporters to ensure the Jamaican hot peppers are internationally competitive with reach into new markets globally.