Page 19 - IB June 2017

Trade

by Samantha Rina

TEN new farmers emerged as finalists
at this year’s Solomon Islands Chocolate
Week – a sign that more cocoa producers
are becoming interested in producing
quality cocoa.
And according to the Solomon Islands
Commodities Export Marketing Authority,
the annual event has had a direct impact
on the volume of cocoa beans exported to
boutique chocolate markets by the Solo-
mon Islands.
Held at the National Auditorium in Ho- Chocolicious
niara from April 24-28, this year’s event
was hailed as a success by stakeholders
for its support of cocoa farmers and for How a 1-week contest inspired farmers
facilitating new more profitable market
opportunities for their quality cocoa.
The event was organised by the Aus- and boosted Solomons cocoa exports
tralian and New Zealand-funded Pacific
Horticultural and Agricultural Market Ac-
cess (*PHAMA) Program, Adventist
Development Relief Agency (ADRA)
and Solomon Islands Rural Development
Program (RDP), in collaboration with the
Commodities Export Marketing Authority
(CEMA) and Ministry of Agriculture and
Livestock (MAL).
Through PHAMA’s support, chocolate
makers from Australia, New Zealand, and
the USA attended as judges. The event
was held concurrently with a cocoa trade
visit, also organised by PHAMA, which
bought additional potential cocoa buyers
to the country to increase the international
visibility of Solomon Islands cocoa and
improve understanding of the industry
among buyers, as well help inform Solo-
mon Islands cocoa exporters and farmers.
PHAMA also funded the travel of farmers
from various cocoa-producing provinces
to attend the week-long event in Honiara.
96 samples of cocoa beans were submit- Top left: Stakeholders sample a variety of chocolates. Top right: Cocoa industry stakeholders at a donor event
ted for the competition from across the duing Chocolate Week.. Above, left: Presentation for the judges. Above, right: Cocoa farmers attend a Q&A
country. Daily workshops were held to session at the National Auditorum in Honiara. Photos: Samantha Rina/ PHAMA
educate farmers about their options in the 30 in record time. It was a challenge at cal workshops that addressed regulatory
bulk and boutique cocoa markets and to the next stage of judging, we had to peel requirements, freight and financing.
allow interaction between buyers, farmers every bean and grind them and then grade “We wanted this year to provide a clear
and exporters. them to get the finalists. As we got down to pathway for those farmers looking to
Cocoa from smallholder farmer Kenny the final 10, it was very difficult to decide sell direct to buyers. Often the gap in the
Patovaki in Western Province was judged between them so they’re all of such a high supply chain is not a willing farmer or an
the best at this year’s event. A newcomer standard,” he said. interested buyer, but a lack of understand-
to the competition, Kenny said his ex- CEMA chief inspecting officer Patterson ing on export procedures,” she said.
perience throughout the week and his Siliota said the success of last year’s event The event is part of PHAMA’s broader
win had motivated him to improve cocoa had led to an increase in cocoa bean ex- support for the cocoa industry which aims
quality and production. Kemwell Gapu, ports to boutique chocolate markets. to improve trade terms for a large part
a participant from Makira Province, said “Last year two tonnes were exported of the 5000 tonnes of Solomon Islands
the biggest lesson from the week was that and this year, in the first three months, six cocoa mainly exported to bulk grinding
quality starts at the farm. tonnes were exported,” he said. markets in Asia. It is also helping farmers
Judge, Gabriel Davidson from Welling- PHAMA’s cocoa advisor, Hannah Whea- to improve quality and link them to new
ton Chocolates, said it had been a fantastic ton, said the week not only highlighted the boutique market buyers, working towards
and challenging week. importance of quality but also provided a target of 250 metric tonnes of exports to
“We narrowed the samples from 96 to both farmers and exporters with practi- the boutique market per year.
Islands Business, May 2017 19