Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., has hailed Japan for almost 70 years of support to Jamaica’s coffee industry.
In the early 1960s, the Ueshima Coffee Company (UCC) became the first Japanese company to import coffee directly from Jamaica. “We, therefore, want to say a big thank you to the people of Japan and the All-Japan Importers of Jamaican Coffee (AJIJC) for continuing to believe in Jamaican coffee and to demonstrate that belief through the continuous purchase of our coffee for approximately 70 years,” Minister Charles Jr. said.
“By doing so, you have been enriching the lives of our over 5,200 Jamaican coffee farmers, most of whom produce on less than five acres in order to support their families,” he noted.
The Minister was addressing the 35th staging of the World Specialty Coffee Conference and Exhibition in Japan on Tuesday (October 11).
He noted that this month makes 41 years since Japan has formed an association to have a direct coffee marketing arrangement with Jamaica’s coffee farmers.
“This association represents a tangible display of how seriously you have taken the Jamaican coffee industry,” he said.
The Minister hailed the Speciality Coffee Association of Japan (SCAJ) on hosting the event.
“We wish for a very successful three days of activities and trust that the bonds between our two countries and the respective agencies – AJIJC, Jamaica Regulatory Agricultural Commodities (JACRA), Jamaica Coffee Exporters Association (JCEA) – will become even stronger as we all strive to satisfy our stakeholders in both countries, our Blue Mountain coffee farmers in Jamaica and Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee consumers here in Japan,” he said.
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