Scotch bonnet peppers - Contributed

Pepper is hot, literally, and it is a US$1 billion industry in North America. Several consumers, food processors and quick-service restaurants within the States are catching on to the flavour and taste of the saucy product.

Realising this is a budding industry, leading players of the region in the hot pepper sector attended a workshop at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, which started Thursday and ended Saturday.

The workshop, coordinated by the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), was to primarily address issues pertaining to the sector's competitiveness, innovation and linkages between processors and producers.

More than 40 participants from approximately 11 countries regionally discussed business opportunities arising from the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, regional networking and national clustering.

Collaborative effort

Stewart Vassell, chief executive officer of Trinidad and Tobago Agri-Business Association, said that in order for the region to capitalise on the American industry, it must be a collaborative effort among the nations.

Winston Stona, of Busha Browne in Jamaica, noted that one of the most sought-after condiments by cuisine experts in the world is jerk seasoning, and pepper is a primary ingredient of this sauce.

At the same time, Taiana Mora-Ramis, executive director of Caribbean Export, said that following the workshop, stakeholders would have concrete plans as to how to carve a niche in the lucrative market.

"Yes, it cannot happen without regional effort," said Mora-Ramis.

"However, in addition to this joint effort within the region, innovation is needed in the form of packaging and distribution. We have to be creative in the way we are approaching this initiative," she said.

Yet, regionally, pepper players want a bigger share of the North American sector. Currently, India produces 44 per cent of pepper cultivation while the Caribbean supplies less than three per cent of pepper to the United States.

Mike Jones, sales and market development personnel of Griffith Labs in Trinidad and Tobago, noted that hot pepper consumption in the United States has increased by 200 per cent since 1983.

"North Americans crave for bold flavours, plus large food players are playing with pepper. They have recognised the demand and potential," said Jones.

Meanwhile, another contributory factor to the demand for pepper, which is now seen as a food flavouring and colouring agent, is that the Hispanic population in the United States has topped 41 million, said Jones.