COCOA farmers in Malaita Province are aiming to increase their production from 4,000 tonnes per year to 10,000 by 2014.
If they could do that, they would certainly increase the current import earnings from cocoa from $71 million to $200 million by 2014.
That’s if they put into good use the new skills and knowledge they gained working under the Cocoa Livelihood Improvement Project (CLIP).
CLIP is a four year project funded by the Australian government. It aims to provide cocoa farmers news skills to rehabilitate and manage their cocoa plantations.
Under this project the government of Australia, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Live Stock poured in $14 million to assist farmers here.
Already 2000 cocoa farmers in Malaita have attended trainings held under the project.
And this is paying off with cocoa plants now producing good pods as witnessed by a visiting delegation to Central Kwara’ae in Malaita yesterday.
One of the farmers Harry Maefelo from Arabala, who started planting cocoa in 1980, said he applied the new skills learned resulted in a healthy cocoa plantation.
He said through the trainings he attended last year, his cocoa plants are growing like new plants.
Another farmer Nelson from Fiu village said his cocoa plantation was planted by his parents in 1984 and had grown old and no longer useful.
However, he said after he attended the training under the CLIP project, he went back and started applying the skills he learned and it has proven positive for his plantation.
He said his cocoa plants are now begining to grow green and start bearing good pods again.
A field visit to his farm has proven that CLIP is useful and is a right methodology to help revive cocoa production in the country.
Australia High Commission Counsellor Development Cooperation Kamal Azmi, who visited the plantations yesterday, congratulated farmers for embracing the training and skills the Ministry extension officers shared with them through CLIP.
He said the government of Australia is committed to supporting the Ministry of Agriculture and Live Stock through CLIP to provide advice and training for tfarmers.
He said CLIP aims to increase the number of people growing cocoa across the country.
The aim is to increase production to 10,000 tonnes a year by 2014.
To show case the programe, the Ministry of Agriculture and Live Stock organised a field day at Gwaibaleo village at Fiu yesterday.
Up to 500 cocoa farmers from the sourounding villages turned up for the field day.
Activities include demonstration of how to prune new young cocoa trees, pruning tall trees and massive pruning.
A slide show, questions and answers, and distribution of pamphlets also took place.
By CHARLES KADAMANA
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