The Vanuatu Ministry of Agriculture’s ‘Yumi Go’ visited Epi Farmers Association in West Epi this week to explore chocolate-making by the association’s members.
The main aim of the association is to produce chocolate for the domestic market.
This year the farmers’ association recorded 35 tons of dry cocoa beans that was sold to C-CROP in Santo for export to France and New Caledonia.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) said there are over 300 farmers who are members of the producer’s association.
“DARD is very pleased with this development and acknowledged the farmers on their commitments to this industry and will continue to support them with new hybrid cocoa seeds to increase their productivity in 2019”.
The chairman of the Epi Cocoa Farmers, Joseph Len presented Epi cocoa chocolate to Levi Tarosa who represented the Office of the Minister of Agriculture.
Len thanked the government through the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for continuously supporting small holder farmers of cocoa.
Photo supplied. Caption: Yumi Go team with farmers on Epi