The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), through its Soul Cocoa Livelihood Project (SCLP), has completed a two-day cocoa training program for farmers in the Aroaro Community, Central Guadalcanal. The training, held on January 22 and 23, 2025, in Upper Tenaru, was designed to address the needs of local cocoa farmers and support ADRA SCLP’s expanding livelihood initiatives.
The program covered essential aspects of cocoa farming, including pruning and grafting techniques, site and seed selection, identification of high-quality seedlings, baseline and lining methods, integrated pest and disease management (IPDM), nursery establishment, and the history and production statistics of cocoa in the Solomon Islands.
Facilitated by private cocoa consultant Robert Waisu and funded by ADRA Australia, the training saw the participation of approximately 45 farmers, including women, both new and experienced. Two female Bachelor of Agriculture students from the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) also joined the program as part of their work attachment.
As part of their support, ADRA distributed 20-liter water containers donated by Solomon Water and polybags to the farmers, helping them enhance their cocoa farming efforts.
During the closing ceremony, ADRA Country Director Leyn Elizer Gantare thanked the local government and community participants for their collaboration and involvement. He encouraged farmers to apply the skills they had learned, stating:
“If you take care of your cocoa, the cocoa will take care of you. However, if you fail to implement this knowledge, the training will become meaningless.”
Mary Filotea, a female cocoa farmer who attended the training, expressed her gratitude:
“This training has given me more knowledge on how to properly plant and harvest cocoa, even as an experienced farmer. I now understand better techniques, and I thank ADRA for bringing this training to our community for free.”
Tribal Chief John Batisia described the program as a significant blessing for the Aroaro Community:
“This is a great opportunity for our community because it’s the first time ADRA has provided such training here. We are very grateful to ADRA Australia and SCLP for funding this initiative to boost our farmers and enhance our cocoa knowledge.”
The SCLP aims to improve income derived from cocoa farming in target communities while enhancing social capital and resilience. The project focuses on increasing yield and production through techniques like radical pruning, soil health improvement, and propagation methods. By addressing pest and disease management, SCLP seeks to remove barriers and empower farmers to achieve sustainable success in cocoa production.
