This project commenced (January 2011) with reviews of the cocoa industries of Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and Samoa. These reviews provided information on: a) current and projected production levels; b) exporter, processor and producer groups engaged in the industry and c) current cocoa industry development programs in place; and d) future market opportunities.
In February 2011, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) conducted a scoping mission to the Solomon Islands to consult with the Cocoa Livelihoods Improvement Program (CLIP) on the impact of their smallholder Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM) project. This mission enabled SPC to adjust the different cocoa management practices which would become part of this project's participatory trial of IPDM methods and plan future actions in Solomon Islands.
The project team then undertook a series of missions to Vanuatu and took the following actions to establish partnerships and launch the IPDM work:
In February-March, SPC and CAB International (CABI), worked with partners - the Department for Agricultural and Rural Development (DARD), the Vanuatu Agricultural Research and Technical Centre (VARTC), and the 10 different farmer networks on Epi and Malekula islands - to finalise the research and implementation plan for the first 18 months. Information sessions were conducted with 8 of the 10 farmer networks with whom the 12-month Participatory Research Appraisal (PRA) of cocoa IPDM strategies would be evaluated, to discuss the strategies for addressing pre-harvest losses attributable to black pod disease and rats. This also enabled SPC and CABI to carry out a rapid field assessment of the current losses.
In April-May, SPC, in consultation with CABI and CLIP, designed the training tools and information packs to be distributed to farmers, prior to commencing the IPDM trial. Information packs for farmers were developed by SPC, and training tools for farmers on the proper management of black pod and rat infestations were developed by CABI and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) respectively. Copies of these information packs and training tools were distributed to all project partners in Vanuatu in June.
In May, SPC developed a work program for the implementation of the IPDM PRA in consultation with the three different cocoa export networks involved in the project (the Vanuatu Organic Cocoa Growers Alliance (VOCGA), the Cocoa Growers Alliance (CGA) and the Alternative Communities' Trade in Vanuatu (ACTIV) network), as well as CABI and other project partners in Vanuatu, beginning with the selection of 12 lead farmers ('Apostles') from each of the 10 participating farmer networks.
In June SPC and CABI worked with each of the three cocoa export partners, to provide a 1-day training session to each of the 10 farmer networks, on effective black pod management, rat management and the parameters of the IPDM PRA.
During April-May, SPC worked with the Vanuatu National Statistics Office and University of Adelaide to develop the Cocoa Livelihoods Household Questionnaire. This questionnaire is designed to identify influences on adoption of new cocoa management technologies. It has been translated into Bislama and six enumerators trained to carry out the household surveys. An initial trial has been conducted, allowing the questionnaire to be adjusted ahead of carrying out the full survey of 480 households.
A major challenge to project delivery has arisen through Mars Inc. deciding that it is unable to provide the germplasm evaluation, conservation and dissemination role outlined in the project document. SPC and ACIAR are negotiating with the Cocoa Coconut Institute Ltd (CCIL) in Papua New Guinea, to provide this expertise. In addition, CLIP in the Solomon Islands has agreed to provide some short-term support to the Vanuatu Agricultural Research and Technical Centre (VARTC) while a long-term solution is explored.
The major scientific achievement of this reporting period was the measurement of black pod and rat damage in Vanuatu. While pre-harvest losses as high as 90% were previously reported, this assessment found that losses resulting from rat damage are never higher than 10%. This finding will inform the design of the IPDM assessment.
Initial project impacts relate to the improvement of smallholders' cocoa management practices. During this reporting period, 120 farmers were trained on effective black pod management and rat control, and provided with three systematic methodologies (of varying degrees of labour intensiveness) for reducing losses.
The major communication activities involved the dissemination of the findings of the rapid assessment of black pod and rat damage and the dissemination of training tools on simple IPDM techniques.