JP Tropical Foods Limited, a subsidiary of Jamaica Producers Group, will lay off 80 workers alongside plans to delay the replanting of the remaining 25 per cent of its St Mary banana farm.
The company said that the farm will return to full production in two years.
JP said in a release that following discussions with the unions, it decided to cut the positions of 80 workers in its banana operations, adding that "the parties had concluded that the alternatives of extended lay-offs, or part-time work arrangements, would be more economically difficult for workers during the period in which the farms were not in full production."
David Martin, general manager of JP Tropical Foods, said the company was considering producing additional acreages of bananas in "a parish in western Jamaica" - with a different profile and incidence of hurricane damage - to satisfy the longer-term growth in market demand.
"We are well aware of the fact that our customers are anxious to see the return of their favourite fruit to supermarket shelves and roadside vendors, and our team is doing everything we can to ensure that our farm yields and fruit quality are better than ever," Martin said.
In addition, Martin said that JP Tropical Foods had commenced the expansion of its pineapple crop and was exploring the opportunity of a business venture with Red Stripe to increase production of cassava in St Mary.
