“There is no limitation of markets for our products. The
problem is how we choose to play the game.”
That’s the word from Dr. Andre Gordon, managing director of
export advisory consultancy Technological Solutions Limited. Dr. Gordon was
speaking at a panel discussion on the topic “Achieving Prosperity Through
Export-led Growth” held recently at the Faculty of Law, UWI Mona campus.
Dr. Gordon, whose company has been advising and supporting
export companies in Jamaica and internationally for over 21 years, said that “properly
incentivized and supported, there is already existing, installed capacity for
significant expansion in value-added production of relatively easy to produce
high demand spices, sauces and other products from Jamaica.”
The Forum and the
panel were presented by the MSBM in conjunction with TSLimited and LASCO
Distributors.
He added that a growing concern over healthy lifestyles and
better diet choices in the major export markets of the US, UK and Europe was
driving the growth potential for Jamaican exporters. “There are significant
opportunities for the export of selected spices to the US, Canada and the UK,
as part of overall value chains dealing with those products.” he said.
He added that that there was strong growth in demand for
packaged beverages, including coconut water, which had seen global demand surge
by 500% over the last decade. he said various estimates put the total value of
this market (in 2015) at between US$2.2B and US$3.6B, with demand projected to
surpass US$8.3B globally by 2023, or five years’ time.
He urged exporters to put more effort into understand the
operations and needs of the various export markets - technical and otherwise -
and to take more of a targeted approach in developing their export businesses.
This, he added, would make a significant difference in profitability.
Michelle Chong, CEO of Honey Bun and current president f the
Jamaica Exporters Association, urged Jamaicans to move away from the
conventional mindset that lack of available capital was a hindrance to
establishing great businesses or to becoming export-ready. Instead, she said,
entrepreneurs should focus on building their businesses on the pillars of
detailed research, innovation, sound practices, and a willingness to
collaborate. Mrs. Chong, also called for a change in the disposition of the
sector to allow talented individuals in the creative and other sectors to focus
more fully on their competitive advantage by “outsourcing” recordkeeping and other
similar services to the relevant professionals
Former Mona School of Business and Management Exec Director,
Prof Densil Williams is calling for an “access revolution” in the tertiary
education sector if Jamaica is to generate meaningful economic growth.
Improving the quality of the workforce in this way, Prof
Williams argued would not only make Jamaicans more suited to high-quality jobs,
but would ultimately contributed to sustained GDP growth at levels which would
bring the desired prosperity to a greater number of Jamaicans
LASCO’s Mark Chin spoke to his company’s experience in
building on its brands with regards to penetrating export markets both
regionally and internationally. Building on its core premise of making
nutrition affordable, LASCO had developed a wide and still expanding range of
beverages and other products, and was preparing to introduce others, even as it
boosts capacity at its manufacturing plants.
The Forum was chaired by current MSBM Executive Director Dr
David McBean, who shared from his own experience in media management and other
areas of the private sector.
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