Inferior, unlicensed coffee to be removed from shelves

• CIB mission kicks off September 1

Jamaica's coffee regulator will within weeks begin removing inferior grade coffee that are falsely marketed as 100 per cent Blue Mountain Coffee from local grocery shelves.

It will also be on the lookout for brands that are not licensed by the Coffee Industry Board (CIB).

The move comes in the midst of a declining coffee market where farmers last year earned less - J$117,221 per tonne of Blue Mountain berries, a decline below 2006 levels; and J$67,975 for non-Blue Mountain, the same price fetched in 2008 - and export earnings tanked by 46 per cent, from US$35.7 million to US$19.2 million.

Coffee berries produced in the August 2009-July 2010 crop year also fell back to 2008 levels at 9,121 tonnes.

CIB's coffee quality-enforcement mission, which begins September 1, is meant to ensure that Jamaicans at home and visiting tourists are getting the same high-quality coffee as sold internationally, the regulator said this week.

"Any substandard coffee detected by the CIB will have to be removed from shelves by the licensed roasters. Consumers are asked to purchase only coffee products produced by licensed dealers," the CIB said in a statement.

Christopher Gentles, director general of the CIB, said Monday that the local market was worth only between J$400 million to J$500 million (US$4.6m to US$5.8m), but that much ended up in the hands of tourists and relatives abroad as Jamaicans drink only a small amount.

Gentles did not say how many producers were considered to be in breach.

Fraudulent branding is also rampant only among brands claiming to sell 100 per cent Blue Mountain coffee, he said.

If the CIB is successful, Gentles says consumers could end up paying about 60 per cent more for the quality coffee, which would also likely be marketed in smaller packages.

The coffee board has recommended that roasters introduce a Jamaica Blue Mountain blend that could be sold at current price points.

CIB has been working with coffee producers over the past year on its quality mission, but Gentles says they have been given another four months to sell off existing stock/inventory, after which they will have to provide top-grade coffee for anything labelled 100 per cent Blue Mountain.

Richard Sharpe, president of the Jamaica Coffee Exporters Association, says the prevailing soft market for Jamaican coffee will make it easier for the CIB to implement the programme, which he backs.

He says, however, that Jamaican shelves at some point could run low on coffee as producers tend to retain their best product for the world market.

"It could be a problem if international markets recover and prices pick up. Fortunately, it is being considered when the market is soft," said Sharpe.

"We have been selling inferior coffee to tourists all these years. Blue Mountain Coffee has to have a standard, and you cannot have two."

The CIB said that its mandate was to ensure that Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee was the same quality worldwide.

"Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is regarded as an exotic coffee and is one of the most expensive coffees in the world," the board said.

Traditionally, Jamaica exports the best of the crop and sells the rest locally. But CIB said this has compromised the quality over time as much of the local coffee is bought by tourists or locals for export.

The CIB will also be publishing periodically the results of the assessments of all coffees on the local market to inform consumers of the performance of the licensed coffee roasters.

austanny@yahoo.com

CIB licensed dealers

Blue Mahoe Estates Limited

Blue Mountain Coffee Venture Limited

Bankra Buys

Coffee Roasters Limited

Coffee Traders Limited

Coffee Solutions

City of Refuge Children's Home

Corner Mountain Coffee

Colin's Coffee Hut

Durham Peak Coffee

Greenwich Mountain Coffee Estate

Gold Cup Coffee Company Limited

Mavis Bank Coffee Factory

Wallenford Coffee Company Limited

Jamaica Standard Products Co Limited

Kew Park Coffee Estate

Peekay's Wholesale

Island Coffees Limited

Marley Coffee

Old Tavern

Jamaica UCC Blue Mountain Coffee Co

Japan Caribbean Trading

Plantation Associates

Wataru Blue Mountain