Solidaridad Liberia Reveals 1,500 Smallholder growers to gain from enriched Cocoa Seedlings under the Cocoa Value Chain Development Programme

By Abdul Rahman Bangura–

Photo Credit: Salesian Missions

NEW AFRICA BUSINESS NEWS (NABN) Freetown, Sierra Leone- The allotment, according to the establishment, is fraction of undertakings to improve the productive output of the goods and enhance agriculturalists trades. Each planter will earn a minimum of 400 seedlings.

“Under the Cocoa Value Chain Development Programme (COVADEP), Solidaridad in collaboration with private cocoa growers will supply 600,000 hybrid cocoa seedlings to farmers in Grand Gedeh and River Gee counties at a small fee,” Solidaridad Liberia deciphered in a press release. The Cocoa Value Chain Development Programme
(COVADEP), which is a four-year program, begun in 2020 and is co-funded by the European Union and Solidaridad.

Forthwith, about 40,000 smallholder growers rely on cocoa production for revenue in Liberia. The COVADEP program, according to Solidaridad, strives to develop the circumstance by aiding farmers the more to scheme into the production business and readying them with fresh awareness and dexterities. “Ultimately, the program seeks to
reduce poverty by increasing incomes, improving livelihoods and the resilience/competitiveness of the Liberia cocoa sector,” Solidaridad announced.

The program will facilitate cocoa been cost growth through enterprise encouragements and the setup of incubation centers for entrepreneurship and promote market-oriented demand for sustainably produced and/or certified cocoa in Liberia.

Besides, COVADEP pursues to improve and carry out a cocoa sector public institution, regulatory and policy frameworks in Liberia. And also, to expand Centres for Cocoa Development as small and medium enterprises (SMEs) within private sector cocoa institutions for sustained delivery of cocoa intensification, rehabilitation, and
diversification services to farmers/communities, according to Solidaridad.

Program Manager for COVADEP – Marvin Samuel stated that despite the crucial function cocoa dabbles in the lives of smallholder farmers, encouragements and alternatives for them to benefit from growing and selling cocoa beans were limited.

“We are confident that our continuous support to the farmers and the sector would help increase farm productivity and eventually improve their incomes. This will reduce poverty and promote a vibrant cocoa sector,” Marvin let out.

Furthermore, Dr. John S. Flomo – Director-General of the Liberia Agriculture Commodity Regulatory Agency (LACRA), emphasized on the significance for stakeholders to improve cocoa farming as an achievable business undertaking. This, he noted, will encourage many planters to widen their cocoa farms and strengthen the production of the commodity in the country for export.

Since 2018, Solidaridad undertook training farmers in Liberia in good agricultural strategies to enable them boost their productivity. New cocoa farmers are benefited to modify their ranches by also seeding food crops such as cassava, plantain, banana, and vegetables as they prepare their lands for cocoa cultivation.

For New Africa Business News (NABN) Abdul Rahman Bangura Reports,  Africa Correspondent