CARICOM Rum producers Join In The Fight Against COVID-19

As the world continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, CARICOM rum producers have modified their production lines to play their part by producing alcohol and hand sanitiser and making donations of sanitation products. Across the Caribbean, contributions have been made to governments, institutions, and frontline healthcare workers and to support local communities impacted by the virus.

Initial actions taken by WIRSPA member-producers

• Angostura in Trinidad & Tobago re-directed one of its product lines towards the creation of 70,000 bottles bulk and retail size sanitising liquid, which was donated to front line workers in the Ministry of Health and Ministry of National Security in Trinidad. A donation was also made to community-based organizations working with senior citizens and children’s homes and a shipment was sent to the prisons. The venture was part of the company’s aim to combat the spread of the virus and to assist with meeting the demand for sanitisers, which are in short supply.

• Antigua Distillery in Antigua & Barbuda has made 4,300 litres of 70% alcohol readily available to produce hand sanitiser and disinfectant. The company has further made donations to Emergency and Essential Workers in Antigua and Barbuda to include Health & Medical Personnel, EMS, the Police & National Guard, Her Majesty’s Prison, and other persons on the front line. In addition, the company has supported the Government’s social initiative to provide care packages to the most affected in society by providing the aforementioned sanitising products and bottled water to those in need.

• Belfast Estate in Dominica, shifted from rum production for human consumption, as a result of the ban on the sale of alcohol and produced a 70% alcohol sanitizer which assisted to alleviate an island-wide shortage of alcohol and sanitizers for the citizens of Dominica.  This was made available mainly to supermarkets, offices and homes caring for the elderly. The production of this sanitizer will become part of their product portfolio.

• Brugal in the Dominican Republic provided hospitals and public centres with 150,000 litres of 70% denatured alcohol donated through the National Health Service (SNS), for the purpose of using it as a disinfectant to protect patients and health personnel on the front line of the crisis. Another WIRSPA member, Vinícola Del Norte, partnered with Casa Brugal and packaging companies Plastidel and Nesplas to package the alcohol and provide containers and boxes so that the donation could be delivered swiftly and safely.

• Demerara Distillers in Guyana donated approximately 12,000 litres of Environ, an alcohol-based sanitising cleaner, to institutions around Guyana, such as senior citizen’s homes, orphanages, night shelters and prisons. In addition, 254 five-gallon bottles of Environ were given to the Health Emergency Operation Centre (HEOC), for distribution to public agencies such as health centres, public hospitals, post offices and police stations.

• Grenada Distillers in Grenada produced some 1,200 cases of sanitising solution that was made available to all supermarkets and pharmacies island wide, with free distribution to various senior citizens’ and children’s homes. In addition, in collaboration with the Government of Grenada, sanitiser was donated to the public transport /bus association, traffic department, prison and other law enforcement entities. Hand sanitisers were also provided for all GDL employees.

• J. Wray and Nephew in Jamaica donated 50,000 litres of high strength alcohol and 20,000 litres of hand sanitizers to the national health service, through the National Health Fund (NHF) to ensure that public health facilities maintain international standards in responding to Jamaicans needs during this time. JWN also provided hand sanitizers to all staff, to first responders including police, fire brigade and vulnerable members of their communities including children’s home and infirmaries. JWN has committed US$37,000 to the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica’s COVID-19 Jamaica Fund, which will provide support for the Jamaican Government and persons affected by COVID-19.

• Mount Gay Distilleries in Barbados donated 2,000 bottles of hand sanitiser (WHO formula) to health officials, with a further estimated total of 28,000 bottles to be handed over for community outreach. Hand sanitisers were distributed to all staff with anti-COVID-19 procedures.

• National Rums of Jamaica has ramped up production to ensure all excess capacity can be utilized to produce alcohol for denaturing, to supply to local manufacturers and the Government to make sanitization products. Just over 10,000 liters of 95% denatured alcohol was donated to the National Health Fund, for use in the national fight against COVID-19.

• Ron Barceló in the Dominican Republic has allocated a significant part of their alcohol production to donations of ethyl alcohol and sanitising hand gel to support the efforts towards reducing the risk of contagion among the Dominican population from COVID-19. It also started a public campaign under the hashtag #juntosporrd (together for DR).

• St. Lucia Distillers has produced a 70% ABV rubbing alcohol sanitiser which helped alleviate an island-wide shortage of sanitiser for citizens. Shipments of bulk and retail sizes were donated to schools, the police and fire departments and to homes for the elderly, to help keep the most vulnerable on island safe. Supported by its parent company GBH, St Lucia Distillers has also contributed 100,000 medical face masks to the Ministry of health for the benefit of front-line health works.

• St. Vincent Distillers produced Mt. Bentick’s Hand Sanitiser, a disinfectant solution developed using the WHO’s guidelines to meet the demand for desperately needed hand sanitiser in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.  Donations were made to the country’s first responders, health care workers, police station, clinics and hospitals as well as the airport.

• Westerhall Estate in Grenada shifted from rum to production of hand sanitiser. The sanitising solution was donated to prisons, medical facilities, police stations and assisted living homes. The 69% proof alcohol-based sanitiser will become a permanent fixture on the product line.

Margaret Monplaisir, head of St. Lucia Distillers and member of the WIRSPA Executive Committee said, “in this period we just pulled out all stops to ensure the islands had the supplies necessary to battle COVID.

Even with a drastic drop in sales because of lock downs, we saw it was our duty, as part of this community, to come out and to keep operating to produce these much-needed supplies.”

She further added, “in this period, with all the stress from being at home and job insecurity, it is important to mind what and how you drink.

If you drink, do so in moderation and stay away from home-made alcohol or any products that may have been tampered with.”

About WIRSPA

The West Indies Rum & Spirits Producers Association (WIRSPA) is one of the oldest, private sector trade associations in the Caribbean. It represents rum producers in Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Haiti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago.

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