Press Release from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation and Industry: Farmers form Cocoa Sub Committee for formalizing cocoa cooperative Following a meeting among cocoa famers and the Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday, July 22, a sub-committee comprising five farmers was formed as part of the beginning process of formalizing a cocoa cooperative. The meeting, which was held at the Ministry of Agriculture Conference Room was chaired by Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. Saboto Caesar and was attended by some 20 cocoa farmers. The objective of Tuesday’s meeting was to discuss the way forward following the announcement of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Cocoa Company winding up operations here. However, upon conclusion of the one and a half hour closed door meeting, a decision was made between the famers for the formation of a cocoa cooperative, which is intended to the charter the way forward for the cocoa industry. “It is something that the Ministry fully endorses,” the Hon Caesar said after the agreement between farmers. According to the Agriculture Minister, this country’s cocoa industry is going through a very critical transition. “We see a lost opportunity of having an international distributor help us to grow cocoa because by right, Amajaro is a distributing company of bean and not a producer that deals with the planting of cocoa… but we have gained the opportunity to develop an indigenous – a home grown industry. “I have confidence that the local chocolate making cottage industry is going to expand because there is a demand that is growing also internationally. I have confidence that there are persons in the private sector, that once they are sufficiently encouraged by incentives, that many will want to go into local chocolate making…” Minister Caesar noted that while he views the exiting of the St Vincent Cocoa Company as being an opportunity missed to work with a renowned international cocoa distributor, that it is definitely not an opportunity lost for our nation to develop an indigenous cocoa industry. The government through the Ministry of Agriculture now has in its possession, three (3) nurseries- two (2) at Orange Hill and one (1) at Dickson, 200,000 plantlets- grafted and non grafted (Minister Caesar outlined that Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves requested that all plants be grafted before being distributed to farmers and a gene bank, which according to Minister Caesar, is arguably one of the best of its kind established within the OECS) In going forward, Minister Caesar said the Ministry of Agriculture will take up the responsibilities of adding to the tree crop department, a cocoa, condiments and spices unit to be staffed with a manager, deputy and staff, providing plants to farmers, continuing the education process started by the coca company and commence the planting of nutmegs in a significant way (inter cropping). Meanwhile, Manager for the St Vincent and the Grenadines Cocoa Company, Andrew Hadley also endorsed the initiative. He said that cocoa farmers here have made a lot of progress in the short time the Cocoa Company was established here. “We’re all disappointed with what happened but my job now is to assist with the transition of all the knowledge and expertise gained over the past few years to the government. “So I am going to ensure I do everything possible while here, to assist the government, because we have about 200,000 plants in the nursery, equivalent to just over 300 acres of cocoa to be planted,” Hadley stated. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation and Industry will be collaborating with the St Vincent Cocoa Company over the upcoming six weeks to ensure a seamless transition as the St Vincent Cocoa Company exists the industry as a major stakeholder.
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 10:09:03 +0000
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