In an effort to combat the cocoa sector’s low levels of production and productivity, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, Natural Resources, and Cooperatives has launched the Cocoa Sector Enhancement Project.

The Cocoa Sector Enhancement Project is geared towards the rehabilitation of cocoa farm holdings, transplanting of unproductive plants, and increasing of acreages with the overall goal of increasing cocoa bean production while improving resilience to climate change and the most common diseases that impact cocoa plants. Under the project, farmers are given the opportunity to sign a Memorandum of Understanding which would facilitate the collection of data including the status of cocoa plants, production, sale of cocoa beans as well as prices of the produce. One of the tangible outcomes of the Cocoa Sector Enhancement Project is the additional subsidization of cocoa trees at $2.00 per plant.

Head of Agricultural Region 6 and Interim  Coordinator of the Cocoa Sector Enhancement Project(CSEP), Eloy Alexis notes that these initiatives aim to address issues such as low return, low market penetration, and cross-cutting issues including insufficient data on cocoa production.

The Department of Agriculture has also collaborated with the Cocoa Research Centre at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad to host quality analysis and sensory analysis training. Mr. Alexis adds that the department is also looking into the possibility of forming a Marketing Cooperation for cocoa farmers.

“Basically what that project stands to do so revitalize and expand the cocoa subsector. A number of initiatives have been targeted such as propagation of seedlings for farmers, currently, we have on offer a further subsidized price of $2.00 per plant for farmers, just to encourage them to increase the acreage of cocoa on the island”

 Farmers interested in purchasing cocoa plants through the CSEP should contact their local extension office. The plants will be available at the Bathe Propagation Station in Soufriere, near Myers Bridge.