BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Kokonut Pacific Solomon Islands (KPSI) received a grant worth $750,000 from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) yesterday, through the Commercial Agriculture Development Project.

This is to support Kokonut Pacific Solomon Islands (KPSI) for the purchase of a Cocoa Butter Press Machine, MAL said in a statement yesterday.

Minister for MAL, Franklyn Derek Wasi said the support demonstrates the ministry’s strong commitment to promoting agribusiness growth and strengthening the agriculture sector in Solomon Islands.

Wasi said the assistance to KPSI aligns with MAL’s policy priority to make agriculture the economic backbone of Solomon Islands and, in preparations to host the FAO SIDS Solutions Forum from June 22-26, a regional event that aims to showcase successful public-private partnerships across the food system.

KPSI Managing Director, Bob Pollard thanked the Ministry for the support, highlighting the direct benefits for cocoa farmers, the MAL statement said.

“Firstly, I’m pleased to be standing here on behalf of Coconut Pacific and all the farmers we represent. To put this into context, the current cocoa farm-gate price is around SBD30 per kilogram, and with the Butter Making Machine, it will enable us to purchase beans at SBD40 per kilogram, providing a premium price to our farmers,” Mr Pollard said.

He said the contribution will directly enable KPSI to share improved margins with growers, leading to substantial income gains.

“The impact is very real for our farmers. We genuinely appreciate the confidence and trust the ministry has placed in the mid-farm sector,” he said.

According to MAL, the cocoa butter press machine is essential to the cocoa and chocolate industry because it maximises value, efficiency, product quality, and converts cocoa liquor into two high-value products, like cocoa butter and cocoa cake, which are milled into cocoa powder, ensuring full utilisation of the cocoa bean.

MAL said modern hydraulic presses enable precise control of fat content, allowing manufacturers to meet different chocolate specifications while achieving high extraction yields that improve profitability.

The Commercial Agriculture Development Programme Support Fund has been established by MAL to support small and medium-scale agribusinesses to acquire critical equipment for strengthening value-added operations.

Photo credit: MAL

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