In the middle of a widespread cement shortage that has rippled across Jamaica’s construction sector and left hardware operators scrambling to stock supplies, regional manufacturer Caribbean Cement Company Limited (CCCL) has given formal assurances that normal supply levels will be restored by mid-May. The commitment came out of a scheduled meeting this week between CCCL executives and leadership of the Incorporated Masterbuilders Association of Jamaica (IMAJ), the industry’s leading trade group for local construction professionals.
In an official statement released after Wednesday’s meeting, IMAJ outlined that CCCL has already begun rolling out corrective actions to resolve the current shortfall, with gradual improvements projected over the next three weeks. To address the immediate gap between available stock and market demand, the manufacturer has committed to ramping up production output immediately. Longer-term, the company is also reviewing systemic changes to boost plant resilience and reduce the risk of repeated supply disruptions that could threaten sector stability down the line.
Beyond addressing immediate production constraints, talks between the two groups also focused on aligning long-term manufacturing capacity with the sustained high demand Jamaica’s construction sector is currently facing. A key driver of this elevated demand is upcoming large-scale reconstruction work tied to recovery from Hurricane Melissa, a disaster that has already placed unprecedented pressure on local building material supplies.
IMAJ has pledged to maintain close coordination with CCCL and all relevant industry stakeholders to track progress on the manufacturer’s commitments, noting that consistent, reliable cement access is fundamental to both the construction market’s healthy functioning and Jamaica’s broader national economy.
The current shortage has already created significant disruptions for businesses across the island, particularly small and medium-sized hardware retailers. Deanall Barnes, executive director of Corporate Area-based Atlantic Hardware and Plumbing, described ongoing tightness in the local market Wednesday, pointing to a mix of interconnected causes that have created the current supply crunch.
Barnes explained that two major government-led post-hurricane recovery programs—the $10 billion Restoration of Owner or Occupant Family Shelters (ROOFS) initiative and the Tourism Housing Assistance and Recovery Programme (THARP)—have pushed already high demand past available supply. ROOFS, administered by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, offers tiered grants to homeowners repairing hurricane-damaged properties based on damage severity, requiring formal damage assessments for eligibility. THARP, funded by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), provides up to $100,000 in housing repair grants to eligible tourism workers—including hotel employees and contractors—in Trelawny and surrounding areas impacted by Hurricane Melissa.
“Both of these programs include allocations for cement and concrete blocks, so demand has spiked sharply especially across western Jamaica over the last three to four months,” Barnes explained. “Now that both initiatives are fully operational, consistent access to adequate cement supplies has become a major challenge, even for our operations.”
Last week, Lloyd Gillings, a hardware operator based in Albert Town, Trelawny, called the ongoing shortage a full-blown crisis that has severely harmed small business operations. He reported that suppliers are restricting orders to small volumes, and in some cases require customers to purchase additional unrelated products before they can buy cement. The shortage has forced Gillings to travel long distances just to source small quantities of the material, while large corporate construction firms have maintained more consistent access. Supplies are particularly scarce in southern Trelawny, he added, though conditions there are reportedly marginally better than in some parts of neighboring Manchester.
Alex Chen, who runs the well-known Just In Hardware in Falmouth, Trelawny, also confirmed his business has faced repeated stockouts for the past two consecutive weeks. On Wednesday, *Jamaica Observer Online* obtained a April 21 letter from a major Jamaican construction firm alerting its customers to the chronic cement shortage, which the company blamed on production disruptions at its primary supplier CCCL. The letter noted the disruption has impacted the sector through most of March and April, thanking customers for their patience and promising ongoing updates as conditions change.
As Jamaica’s dominant domestic cement manufacturer, CCCL has acknowledged the production challenges that triggered the shortage, citing persistent heavy rainfall as a key external factor that disrupted operations. The bad weather created complications with raw material extraction and processing, leading to equipment and workflow disruptions that pulled down temporary production levels.
In its own Wednesday press release, CCCL confirmed some delays remain due to the combination of unseasonably bad weather and soaring post-reconstruction demand. But the company emphasized that cross-functional dedicated teams have been working around the clock to resolve issues, stabilizing damaged equipment and improving overall operating conditions. Work is ongoing to fully clear all remaining supply constraints, the company added, with new protocols being implemented to strengthen operational processes and boost long-term supply reliability across the island.