JP to launch new 'Simply Fresh' line of food
Published:Wednesday | October 27, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Jamaica Producers Group (JP) is upgrading its peeling and packaging facility in Annotto Bay, St Mary, from which the company intends to start delivering to the market fresh produce ready for the pot.
The company hopes to bring some of the products to the market in time for Christmas, but is targeting March 2011 to have the full line out.
"JP already participates in the snack meal segment - both fresh fruits and package," says Group Managing Director Jeffrey Hall.
"This initiative now gives us the opportunity to participate in meal-type consumption - breakfast, lunch and dinner - which represents a growth opportunity."
JP is investing J$16 million in the packaging project.
The fresh-produce packages will include peeled green bananas ready for boiling, soup packages with pumpkin and sweet potato, and "high quality" bammy suitable for breakfast, and ultimately, freshly cut pineapple," Hall said.
The 6,000 square feet factory in Annotto Bay, which already employs about 20 persons, will be augmented with fresh-produce packaging, cold rooms, a bammy facility and vacuum-packaging machines.
"This way, Jamaican consumers can reconnect with fresh green banana, plantain, sweet potato, and bammy as a healthy alternatives to imported starches," said Hall.
The products will be launched under a new line 'JP Simply Fresh'.
"Consumers don't have time to prepare these traditional items so the research shows that they would like us to do it for them, so we are establishing a facility to take local fresh produce and prepare it for easy and convenient consumption," said Hall. "We are trying to take advantage of the current market trends, with the increasing cost of imported commodities such as corn and wheat, to increase the production and availability of domestic produce such as sweet potato, pumpkin, cassava and plantain," he said.
There are other small companies out of Trelawny and elsewhere that package yams and bananas, but such supplies tend to be sporadic - some of it due to seasonal influences - and JP's entry will likely create a more certain supply source as well as push existing rivals to become more consistent in supplying grocers.