By Erica James-King, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
THE TALK about developing a flavours and nutraceuticals industry has turned into action.
Within two months, Jamaica will have in place the technology to extract flavours, says Minister of Commerce, Science and Technology, Phillip Paulwell. The Ministry is now in the process of procuring flavour extraction machinery costing US$200,000.
"We have in fact paid down on the equipment," Minister Paulwell said. "It is being manufactured in Australia and we expect that it should reach Jamaica by the start of the new financial year."
The latest comments by the Minister come a year after he promised that his Ministry was taking steps to acquire the flavour extraction machine, the Spinning Cone Column, and that it would have been in the island by the middle of last year.
According to Minister Paulwell, southern St. Elizabeth will be the first to benefit from the new technology. He is confident that flavour extraction is a viable way of seeking to stimulate productivity by facilitating the manufacture of value-added projects from agriculture.
A pilot project spearheaded by the Scientific Research Council (SRC) began in February last year, and will in April see farmers growing ginger and turmeric for the nutraceutical industry.
VIABLE SECTOR
"Both JAMPRO and the SRC have been engaged in promoting this as a viable sector and, in fact, we are encouraging the farming community to get involved," said Mr. Paulwell. "Very shortly, the SRC will start to promote this more effectively."
Permanent Secretary in the Commerce Ministry Dr. Jean Dixon said a closer working relationship between the private and public sectors is required as part of the preparatory phase for making flavour-extraction a worthwhile venture.
"A company is being established which is a joint venture between the public sector and private sector and a task force has been established to iron out the details of this pilot project," Dr. Dixon said.
