Nateram Ramnanan has a preference for being referred to as ‘Juice Man’. The sobriquet by which he is almost universally known precedes the growth of his enterprise, Original Juice to what it is today. As a boy he served as an apprentice to his father whom residents of Anna Regina still remember as the ‘Cane Juice Man’ who plied his trade grinding cane and selling the thick, dark juice.
Not only has the ‘Juice Man’ followed in his father’s footsteps; more significantly, he has refined and diversified the trade. At Charity in the Pomeroon, Original Juice is one of the well-recognized business enterprises. It began, perhaps not surprisingly with cane juice, in August 1982. Today, the factory manufactures and markets juices made from cherry, coconut and ginger among other agricultural produce. Juices apart, the enterprise manufactures a range of condiments including achar, pepper sauce and dried thyme. It remains, up to this time, a simple operation that employs an industrial/commercial blender and pulper to extract and process the juices. The rest of the manufacturing process is manual. But the Juice Man is about to move on still further.
The growth of his enterprise is reflected in the fact that it currently employs eight persons including a truck driver, a boat driver and persons to strip the sugar cane prior to grinding. Fruit for his produce depends on supplies from farmers in the Pomeroon. Supply of juice products is largely a function of fruit seasons and the Juice Man says that he is keen to see the farmers increase their production in order that he can enhance his own.
Evidently focused on being the best he can be in a sector that he has made a career, Ramnanan has benefited from several courses designed to enhance his skills. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has afforded him opportunities to pursue a six-week agro-processing course in Suriname, a two-week programme in St Vincent and a three-month course in Brazil. Each time, he has added to his knowledge of the trade. His next major venture is an $8.5 million investment in a German-manufactured mobile compact fruit juice production plant which he says will both increase his output and render his operation more efficient.
Up until now, Juice Man’s marketing efforts have been focused on the local consumer. He has distributors at Kaituma, on the Essequibo Coast, communities west of the Demerara River and in Georgetown.
Next month, the Juice Man will be taking his first real tilt at export marketing through the May 8 -14 SIAL Agricultural Trade Show in Toronto. He will, he says, be sizing up both marketing opportunities and technical assistance aimed at enhancing both his product quality and his packaging and labelling presentation. The Juice Man has come of age. He is aware that if Original Juices is to make an impact on the international market the enterprise has little choice but to meet the rigorous standards demanded by consumers in North America, Europe and increasingly in the Caribbean. The SIAL event, he says, will be an interesting test for his enterprise.
