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Vanuatu’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) is focusing on increasing cacao production in its 2021 Business Plan.
The department is targeting the distribution of 120,000 cacao seedlings to potential cacao farmers throughout the country.
DARD Extension Officers are working actively to meet this years’ target.
In Mota Lava island, Extension Officer, John Antas, has established a cacao nursery.
“There are 1,500 cacao potted poly bags prepared for pre-nursery transplanting of cacao seedlings.
“The seedlings will be well nurtured until its transplanting stage,” Antas said.
“We (DARD) are already working with a lead cacao farmer from Telvet village.”
“Recently I visited his cacao plantation of over 150 cacao trees.”
“The cacao seedlings in the nursery will be provided to him so he can grow up to 2,000 cacao trees and his cacao plantation will be a model for other farmers that wish to invest in cacao production,” Antas said.
The importance at production stage is to firstly target the establishment of new cacao plots, rehabilitation and replanting of old plantations, strengthen and improve the capacity and knowledge of cacao farmers and extension officers, and improve the resilience and quality of cacao products to meet existing and new market requirements.
The objectives of the activity are to increase production and quality of bulk and fine flavour cacao and improve capacity and resilience of cacao farming in Vanuatu.
Vanuatu exports less than one percent of cacao in global production representing a small player within the cacao trade which accounts to one percent of Vanuatu’s goods export generating over VT400 million of export annually.
More than 30 percent of the population depend on cacao as a source of income and even in some communities cacao is the only crop that provides employment.
Cacao is a crop that grows well in SANMA, PENAMA, MALAMPA and SHEFA provinces.
Photo supplied Caption: A cacao nursery in Motalava island
