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Cocoa project launched

The agriculture ministry on Tuesday launched a cocoa project it hopes will help revive the ailing sector.

   The European Union is providing most of the funding, about $35 million.

Jamaica may be one of eight countries in the world with the distinction of fine flavoured cocoa but in recent years, the industry has hardly seen the fruits of that reputation.

It’s why these people came to the agriculture ministry to launch a European union-funded project to boost cocoa production in six parishes: St. Thomas, St. Mary, Portland, St. Catherine, Clarendon and St. James.  Among other things, the year and a half long project will see nurseries improved and farmers trained.

    It’s part two of a project that started sometime ago and those on hand are hopeful because more cocoa was produced last quarter   than the entire year before.  But a bone of contention is what will happen to the cocoa industry board whose chairman is frank Phillips.

Officials argue that it's part of a plan of moving from a centralised marketing system to one where farmers dominate the selling and agriculture minister Roger Clarke says that has to be more than just cocoa beans.

But seeing that production increased and then plunged after previous e-u projects ended, they're hoping the message will take root.

 

 

 

 



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