The Ministry of Agriculture and Lands is conducting a study of the island's coffee industry and the Coffee Industry Board (CIB), with a view to establishing a fair regulatory structure for all coffee marketing companies.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Donovan Stanberry, told The Gleaner yesterday that the contract for the study is expected to be put to tender shortly, possibly by the end of this month.

Mr. Stanberry explained that the study would "look at the Coffee Industry Board as a regulatory authority and to establish the kind of structure needed to execute the mandate of regulating the industry."

Enhance expansion

He said the study would also determine "what kind of research and technical services can be provided to the industry to enhance expansion of acreage and export; the regulatory system to be instituted to ensure that all stakeholders can survive; and, the additional measures needed to protect the integrity of the Blue Mountain Coffee brand."

According to Mr. Stanberry, the additional measures were needed in light of new marketers entering the industry and using their huge capital to attract farmers by paying for supplies up front. This is contrary to what currently obtains where farmers are paid part upon delivery and the remainder when the supply is sold to international suppliers.

As a result, he stressed that the Ministry of Agriculture had an obligation to adjust the regulatory mechanisms in place to ensure that there is equal opportunity for all marketers.