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Hurricane Melissa might have wiped out more than 90 per cent of Jamaica’s sorrel crop, but at least one local company had the foresight to stockpile the product in anticipation of increased demand for Christmas.
Learning from the experience of Hurricane Beryl last July, Trade Winds Citrus Limited (TWCL) decided to secure sorrel early in the year to ensure sufficient supply.
“For several years we have been buying a lot of sorrel after Christmas and throughout the year because the demand always exceeds supply the closer we get to Christmas. Melissa has devastated the sorrel crop. Thankfully we have been buying sorrel throughout the year to ensure adequate supply for our beverage needs,” TWCL managing director Peter McConnell told The Financial Gleaner.
The company produces a range of drinks under the Tru Juice brand, but McConnell noted that sorrel is the best seller only in December. Sorrel drink is a traditional Christmas beverage made from the roselle plant, a type of hibiscus that produces a crimson-red accessory fruit. The brewing process involves steeping the fruit in hot water to extract its juice, then adding sugar, ginger, pimento, and, if preferred, white rum to enhance the flavour.
According to the Economic and Social Survey of Jamaica produced by the Planning Institute of Jamaica, the country produced 837.7 tonnes of sorrel in 2024, a
27-per-cent drop from the 1,152.6 tonnes produced in 2023. Production typically hovers above 1,000 tonnes in years without storm damage. Melissa, which struck the island on October 28, has raised concerns about future supply, with McConnell admitting he is “very worried” about next year.
Prices have also surged. TWCL purchases 150,000 to 200,000 pounds of sorrel annually from farmers across the island. Before Melissa, prices ranged from $250 to $300 per pound, but they have now climbed to roughly $500 per pound.
TWCL is also innovating with the traditional holiday drink, introducing products such as Calico Jack rum & sorrel mix, a ready-to-drink cocktail. Meanwhile, Jamaicans are not only consuming sorrel in the traditional way but are also enjoying the beverage served hot.
John Mahfood, chief executive officer (CEO) of Jamaican Teas Limited, said the company’s sorrel tea bags are growing in popularity due to their affordability.
“It is doing extremely well due to the shortage and very high price of fresh sorrel. Consumers are now beginning to know the product and love the convenience and low price. Hopefully it will become an everyday product and not just for Christmas,” Mahfood said.
Jamaican Teas has to import sorrel because of insufficient local supply, Mahfood disclosed. The company produces mostly for the export market.
Salada Foods Jamaica Limited has also launched an instant sorrel-flavoured drink as part of efforts to diversify its instant coffee operations. General Manager Tamii Brown told The Financial Gleaner last week that the company aims to resonate with consumers locally and abroad.
Garnet Edmondson, CEO of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), expressed confidence that sorrel production would soon recover, but admitted that labour shortages remain a hurdle for the sector.
“Labour is a major challenge. It’s not difficult to plant sorrel but it’s very difficult to reap. We have invested in the technology to reap but it’s still in the infancy stage,” Edmondson said at a RADA Recovery and Resilience Stakeholders Forum in Kingston on December 17.
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