SUGAR MANUFACTURING CORPORATION OF JAMAICA (SMCJ)
The Sugar Manufacturing Corporation of Jamaica ( SMCJ), as the name suggests, represents the sugar manufacturers in Jamaica who are the only manufacturers of “Jamaican Brown Sugar”.
SMCJ has been advised that the relevant authorities have discovered brown sugar in the local market which has been determined to not be Jamaican Brown sugar. We have also been advised that the Sugar Industry Authority (SIA) which is the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) constituted body authorized to issue permits for the importation of brown sugar for domestic consumption has not given permits for the importation of brown sugar in the past years.
The implications are that this sugar was imported illicitly without the required permit for importation, and in some cases, is being sold in clear unmarked plastic bags which are untraceable.
Any unauthorized importation of brown sugar is illegal and is a direct threat to the survival of the Local Sugar Industry and thus has an immediate and irreversible negative impact on thousands of Sugar Cane Farmers in Jamaica, and rural communities that depend on the local Sugar Industry. In addition to sugar being imported illegally, the unmarked plastic bags breach the Jamaica Bureau of Standards (BSJ) regulations which require that all sugar for retail sale (direct consumption) must be presented in the market in properly labeled packaging. Additionally, this packaging must be done in a BSJ approved packaging facility. In this regard, SMCJ members sell sugar in 500gram, 1Kg, 2Kg, 5Kg, 25Kg and 50 KG presentations and all of these presentations are properly prepared and labeled. The 25kg and 50 KG are primarily sold to Industrial and/or high-volume customers. Any re-bagging or packaging of the 25Kg or 50Kg bags into smaller sizes without the requisite labeling to facilitate traceability is not done by any member of SMCJ nor is it legal. In addition, there is no assurance that this sugar has not been adulterated in any way and prepared in sanitary conditions or if it is even “Jamaican Sugar”. This type of unlabeled sugar is not traceable. The Brands owned and/or packaged by the SMCJ members are: Pan Caribbean, Worthy Park Estate, Jamaica Gold, Eve, NuPack, Golden Grove. When you purchase these brands, you are assured that the sugar is locally made, sanitary, properly packaged and labelled and traceable.
The members of SMCJ and our Farmers appreciate your support for the local Sugar Industry, and we also support the Government’s efforts to protect the industry and the consumers alike.
Signed: SMCJ