Salada Coffee Project bears fruit

HOURS AFTER the announcement of the Salada Coffee Project, the manufacturer acquired 750 boxes of cherries on Thursday, November 15. This was revealed at a press briefing at the Blue Mahoe Suite at Courtleigh Hotel recently. The purchase, valued at approximately $3 million, was made after engaging farmers in the Mount Airy region of the Blue Mountains.

According to Patrick Williams, chairman of Salada Foods Jamaica, mutual dependencies define the coffee industry.

“The coffee industry depends on many things and Salada is willing to play its part,”Williams said.

“Many people depend on it for their survival for the small farmers as it is their only safety net. The current global supply gut is driving prices downward and threatening its viability. These changes are also affecting Salada,” he said.

“We have a supply chain to protect, a local supply chain with over 120 members of staff, workers, hardworking men and women mostly from the innercity, looking to us to keep them afloat each and every month,”Williams added.

Considered a major shift in Salada’s strategic operations, Salada has embarked on a venture to purchase 25,000 boxes of coffee cherries at $4,000 per box from the Blue Mountains, which will be converted to approximately 200,000 lbs of green beans over the next three- to four-month period.

RESTORE INDUSTRY GREATNESS

“The industry stakeholders; coffee farmers; coffee exporters; coffee traders; JACRA; the ministry [of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture, and Fisheries]; and your instant coffee manufacturer, Salada, must all pull together and do what we have to do to make this industry great again,”Williams said.

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Audley Shaw lauded Salada for its efforts.

“I want to commend Salada for the foresight and vision of taking a potential crisis and turning it into what may end up being a golden opportunity. As is often said, in every crisis there is a seed of greater benefit; in every crisis, there is an opportunity,” Shaw stated.

“This shift in the company’s operational line is bold and innovative, and demonstrates the value of marketdriven initiatives that will see the company benefiting from a consistent supply of local green beans to suit their manufacturing needs,” he added.

In addressing attendees at the briefing, Dianna BlakeBennett, general manager of Salada Foods, made an appeal to farmers to engage Salada as early as possible.