KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), says agro-processors may be leaving significant revenue unrealised by discarding waste generated during production and is encouraging entrepreneurs to view these by-products as materials that can be converted into inputs for new products or business opportunities.
The call came from Manager of the Technical Services Unit, Colin Porter at JBDC’s Virtual Biz Zone webinar, titled “Agile Resilience and Trade Strategies to Sustain Productivity in Disruption.” As an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Investment & Commerce (MIIC), the JBDC has been leading efforts in business restoration in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa which severely disrupted sectors including agriculture and manufacturing.
“It is said that in countries such as Jamaica, we may lose up to 40 per cent of crops to waste, and I found it to be a jarring figure,” Porter said.
By repurposing agricultural by-products, processors can extract more value from the crops they purchase. Instead of earning only from a primary product such as a juice, sauce, jam or seasoning, a business may also develop a secondary product or supply usable material to another enterprise.
He said crop losses across the agricultural value chain underscore the need for greater investment in preservation, processing capacity and value-added production.
“Can we convert discarded fruit skins, crops and seeds into value-added compost, pectin extracts or livestock feed? It could become a revenue stream for you as well,” Porter told participants.
Crops such as sorrel, pepper, fruits, herbs and spices can be converted into purees, concentrates, powders, pepper mash or dehydrated ingredients for later use. Fruit skins, pulp and other organic material, for example, could be converted into compost and supplied to farmers. Other by-products may be suitable for livestock feed or further processing, depending on their composition, safety and the available technology.
This could create a more circular production system in which farmers supply crops to processors, the crops are converted into finished products and the remaining organic material is repurposed to support further agricultural production.
Porter explained that produce may be left in fields during market gluts, damaged before reaching processing facilities or lost because of inadequate storage, limited processing capacity and unsuitable preservation methods.
These losses also represent missed income for farmers, agro-processors and other businesses operating along the value chain.
However, he stressed that waste conversion must be treated as a viable business opportunity. Processors should consider conversion costs, equipment requirements, product safety, regulatory standards and the availability of potential buyers.
“Moving towards standardised production inputs and processing immediately post-harvest can help us to stabilise supply while transforming highly perishable produce into value-added inputs for additional processing,” Porter said.
Through its Technical Services Unit, JBDC helps agro-processors assess their facilities, identify areas of waste and explore opportunities for process improvement and value-added product development.
The Corporation’s food specialists and production engineers also provide technical consultations, equipment recommendations, product-development assistance and access to shared facilities through JBDC’s Agro-Processing Incubator.
The Virtual Biz Zone’s SMART Agro-Processing Series supports JBDC’s wider effort to help Jamaican processors improve productivity, strengthen sustainability and generate greater economic value from local agricultural resources.
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