The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Solomon Islands, through its Sustainable Economic and Agricultural Solutions (SEAS) project, is helping cocoa farmers in Marovo Lagoon, Western Province, strengthen their skills and livelihoods with the establishment of a new cocoa module farm at Gevala.

A cocoa module farm serves as a small nursery where young cocoa plants are nurtured before being transferred to the main farm.

The establishment of the cocoa module farm was announced during a one-week cocoa training conducted at the Malolo Cocoa Farm by SEAS Project manager Patrick Mesia.

The Cocoa Establishment, Rehabilitation, Quality Assurance, and Management Training was funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through ADRA Australia under the SEAS Project, and as part of its site expansion activities.

The training, held October 20-23, 2025, brought together 16 participants, including new and existing cocoa farmers from East and West Marovo. It covered key topics such as cocoa pruning, nursery management, site selection, grafting, radical pruning, harvesting, fermentation, and marketing.

Speaking during the closing ceremony, Mesia acknowledged the commitment of all participants.

“I would like to thank all of you who attended this training for your time and effort to come here despite your busy schedule back in your respective villages,” he said.

“This training will help you to establish your cocoa farms and your existing farmers to improve your production.”

Mesia added that this was the first training of its kind to be held in Marovo and marked the beginning of ongoing collaboration with farmers there.

“This training will now bring us together as partners of ADRA to establish this place as a new cocoa excellence centre and a model for other farmers around Marovo Lagoon,” he said.

Vinsent Cesala, a farmer from Kavolavata, Gotokae Island, described the training as eye-opening. He shared that although he had planted cocoa before, he lacked the knowledge to help his trees produce better yields.

“This training was timely for us who are currently involved in cocoa planting and those interested in starting,” he said.

“I have planted a few cocoa trees in my garden, but I didn’t know how to make them bear good fruits and grow well. Now, through the lessons on pruning and radical pruning, I’ve gained the knowledge I need, and will start applying it when I return home.”

Jandrick Lalao, who currently farms both coconut and seaweed on his island Tige in Marovo, also found the training valuable.

“At the moment, I’m involved in coconut and seaweed farming, and this cocoa training has motivated me to also venture into the cocoa sector,” he said.

“I have land on my island where I plan to plant cocoa under the coconut trees using knowledge I’ve learned from this training. The sessions on cocoa nurseries and soil selection were especially important for me.”

The SEAS Project is an expansion of the SOUL Cocoa initiative that aims to support 2500 cocoa farmers across Guadalcanal, Malaita, Vella Lavella, and Honiara in achieving sustainable livelihoods and economic resilience through improved yields, training in best practices, and access to quality planting materials.

It addresses the long-standing challenge of low cocoa productivity, limited market access, and fragile livelihoods among smallholder cocoa farmers in Solomon Islands. While cocoa is a significant source of income in rural areas, farming households often lack the resources, training, and organizational support needed to improve yields, reduce losses, and increase income. These challenges are further compounded by climate vulnerability, gender inequalities, and limited institutional support.

At the end of the training, each participant received 100 polybags and three cocoa pods, provided by Malolo Farm. These materials will enable the farmers to establish their own cocoa nurseries and begin developing their cocoa plantations.

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