The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has successfully concluded a two-day cocoa awareness training for the Tumpape Community in North East Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.

The training, held December 11-12, was funded by ADRA Australia through its Soul Cocoa Plus Project (SCPP). It was facilitated by Robert Waisu, a private cocoa consultant, and covered topics such as the history of cocoa and its role in the global market; the importance of planting cocoa; site and soil selection; and pruning techniques.

The training was attended by about 15 existing and aspiring cocoa farmers from the Tumpape community and its surrounding areas.

SCPP Project Manager Patrick Masia expressed optimism about the project’s impact. “This is part of our project expansion to new communities that we are currently working with them,” he said.

“ADRA SCPP is pleased to collaborate with the Tumpape community as our new project site. Cocoa training and awareness are integral components of our program expansion, and we will provide training and cocoa materials to the farmers as part of this new partnership.”

Cocoa farmer John Taule described the training as a valuable learning experience.

“We already have farmers here with existing cocoa plantations, but our biggest challenge has been a lack of knowledge on how to increase production and improve techniques for better yields,” he said.

“I personally requested ADRA to conduct this training here. It was heartwarming to see my family, brothers, sisters, and the wider community attending this training to enhance cocoa production and meet quality standards for selling cocoa beans.”

A memorandum of understanding has been signed between ADRA SCPP and the Tumpape community, formalizing their partnership to deliver further training and provide cocoa farming materials to support local farmers.

The original article was published on the South Pacific Division news site, Adventist Record.