Cassava closer to beer-ing fruit

By Michelle Nurse On Mar 12, 2015

From left: chairman of Red Stripe, Richard Byles; managing director of Red Stripe, Cedric Blair; and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Derrick Kellier break ground for the new processing plant at Red Stripe (Photo via Jamaica Observer) — From left: chairman of Red Stripe, Richard Byles; managing director of Red Stripe, Cedric Blair; and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Derrick Kellier break ground for the new processing plant at Red Stripe (**Photo via Jamaica Observer**)

Local beer company Red Stripe is one step closer to introducing cassava into its brew, now that it has broken ground for the construction of its 20-root-tonne cassava-starch processing plant.

The company has pumped US$800,000 ($92 million) into the facility which will allow Red Stripe to begin production of its flagship beer with at least five per cent cassava by the end of the year. Over time, Red Stripe hopes to have up to 40 per cent of locally grown cassava replacing the imported barley that is used in the production of beer.

The brewing company has also secured a lease contract for an additional 250 acres of land at Wallen, St Catherine, bringing its total cassava farmland under production to 286 acres.