Pets, a growing market for Cari-Med

Avia Collinder, Business Writer

Big bucks are going to the dogs in Jamaica these days - literally! Dogs and cats appear to have been keeping the cash register ringing for pet food supplier, Cari-Med Limited, which claims to be one of the country's top three fast-moving consumer goods and pharmaceuticals distributors.

"Our portfolio of commercially-prepared pet foods is a growing category," Purina brand manager Arlene Brown told Wednesday Business.

It's not only cats who are purring at the good news.

"The awareness of the benefits of prepared pet foods has increased over the years. Time and money have persons choosing economical methods of taking care of their pets," Brown said.

So, Cari-Med, the local distributor, probably better known for selling hospital disposables, health equip-ment and other consumer goods, has, in the last few months, been investing marketing dollars to push its pet nutrition line - a segment of its business which the company said has performed beyond expectations.

Beyond that disclosure, the firm is not spilling the beans on its pet-food marketing spend.

Purina sells both cat and dog food, with dogs, not surprisingly, chowing down more to add the greater amount of fat to the company's bottom line. Unfortunately, an absence of pet-food import data, raw or otherwise, makes it impossible to get a better picture of the size of the local market.

The pet lines, Brown said, were introduced in 2006 and have become among the best performers in the company's sales and distribution portfolio.

Not peculiar

This Jamaican business trend is not all that peculiar. According to market intelligence source, Euromonitor International, regions such as Eastern Europe and Latin America are now showing the highest pet-food sales increases.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, pet-related accessories and food are markets that are yet to peak, the online business information portal said.

And it's not just about food for our furry friends. The line of business has a major health-care segment, which, Euromonitor said, is worth noting. Why? More pet food sellers, be they multinational conglomerates, such as Mars, Nestlé Purina, Colgate-Palmolive and Procter & Gamble, or smaller, privately held outfits, start-ups and manufacturers specialising in alternative categories such as raw and fresh foods, are now even jostling for the lick of approval based on health-and-wellness claims.

Cari-Med took over Colgate Palmolive's Jamaica operations in 2005.

In the burgeoning pet health-and-nutrition line, new trends include a range of natural and organic, fortified, weight management, food allergies and hypoallergenic products similar to human food and nutrition advancements.

"More and more ingredients used in human foods, supplements and other products are making their way into pet foods and treats," the trade site noted.

And why not? Every dog, and cat too, should have its day.

avia.collinder@gleanerjm.com