Entry: Bill Guyton and Robert Peck, World Cocoa Foundation
We had the pleasure to meet some very distiguished visitors on Wednesday this week. A delegation from Jamaica, led by Agricultural Minister Tufton, joined USAID and several World Cocoa Foundation company members, met in our offices to discuss ways to revitalize Jamacia's cocao sector. We commend the actions of the Agriculture Ministry and USAID and look forward to helping Jamaican cocoa farmers.
Please see the article below from Radio Jamaica.
USAID to assist local cocoa industry
Thursday, 17 September 2009
Assistance in restructuring Jamaica's cocoa industry is coming from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Cocoa Foundation.
This follows meetings between Agriculture Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton and those agencies during his first official trip to Washington D.C. this week.
A team of experts sponsored by USAID is scheduled to be in Jamaica next week to concretise the arrangements.
The experts hail from Agricultural Cooperatives Development International and the Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance.
The assistance came after Dr. Tufton outlined to the USAID, government initiatives to restructure the cocoa growing sector and reposition it to support economic growth.
"I provided a briefing as to what we are doing. A number of these organizations are already involved with us on a particular project so we used the opportunity to advertise some of those existing relationships and also to secure agreements on new arrangements," Dr. Tufton said.
He said the restructuring would involve divestment of some entities.
Dr. Tufton expects this divestment will help attract the right private sector players to the industry, expanding production capacity to 3,000 tons, yearly.
There are currently 11,000 cocoa farmers producing some 650 tons of cocoa, while there is demand for 1,400 tons.
Dr. Tufton pointed out that if production goals are achieved, the industry would be on the right track as a foreign exchange earner.
Comments (5)
I agree that this capital injection to increase farmers' capacity to bring their own beans to market is great. I started a small bean to bar to bonbon chocolate company to feature Jamaican chocolate and to help very small farmers in the parish of St. Mary, Jamaica get a better price for their beans. We have learned how to ferment and began scoping out a central location for farmers to have a small fermenting and drying station. As someone with minimal capital partnering with farmers whose only asset is their land, the capital from USAID is very necessary. Our goal is sustainable development but labor must be accompanied by sufficient start-up capital to achieve it.
Posted by Nancy Nadel | December 23, 2009 10:55 PM
Posted on December 23, 2009 22:55
I have several family members in Esher, St. Mary with small plots each averaging about 3 acres, for a total of approx 10 acres. These properties were once cultivated as coco/chocolate farms some years ago. I have approch one family and giving some thought of approaching the others to come together and consolidate these farms and resuscitate this industry. Please provide any info you have that will be of help.
1)Viability of this business, farming only 10 acres.
2)Cost of to resuscitiate
3)Current and future market
4)Profitability
5)Financial assistant
6)Technical assistant
7)Others
I do not reside in Jamaica, and therore would not be directly involved with the farming, however I could offer organizational and maybe very limited financial help to this endevor.
Posted by Melton Daley | February 15, 2010 2:53 PM
Posted on February 15, 2010 14:53
want to buy
Posted by micael | February 18, 2010 11:46 AM
Posted on February 18, 2010 11:46
I am a resisident of St Mary and remember the days when cocoa farming was a viable entity.Prsently, i am working within the Agricultural sector but would gladly assist in any way posiible to see a return of cocoa industry to its former glory.I must commend the effforts of the Agricultural Minister in lobbying for the financial assistance.
Posted by orville Roache | March 23, 2010 12:08 PM
Posted on March 23, 2010 12:08
Very nice initiative to restore the jamaican cocoa market. Hope the international volunteers will show interest in this campaign.
Thanks
Collin paul
Posted by Collin | August 27, 2010 12:18 AM
Posted on August 27, 2010 00:18