Above: Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke, Senator Norman Grant and Edgar Munn (JIS Photo)
By the Caribbean Journal staff
Jamaican-born Edgar Munn leads Blue Mountain Inc., an Atlanta-based coffee company delivering Jamaica’s Blue Mountain beans.
The Georgia company, which ships its coffee within 24 hours of being roasted, recently hosted a visit from Jamaican Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke, who called the company a “fantastic operation.”
“This shows that when it comes to value added, if we apply innovations, and if we are determined to move up the value chain, we can maximize our profits as far as our coffee is concerned,” Clarke said. “What this is saying is that the value-added aspect of agriculture is extremely important.”
Clarke was joined on the visit by Senator Norman Grant, who is one of Jamaica’s internationally-certified coffee tasters.
The company also recently did a special blue using non-Blue Mountain beans, which are grown at an altitude of 1,500 feet in Jamaica.
“I think the potential for that is huge, because it puts the other coffee that is not being classified as Blue Mountain, but still 100 percent Jamaican, at a price point where the average person can buy it,” Munn said. “That price point we put on the internet is $24.99 for a pound and one-half delivered.”
Clarke said the Agriculture Ministry would play a critical role between Jamaican farmers and international markets, and that it is taking steps to address issues and identify people who are pirating the Jamaican coffee brand.