Govt to Provide Land, Crops & Technical Support to 45 Cocoa Farming Graduates

The North East Cocoa Producers Cooperation in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture has graduated 45 people who completed the Cocoa Farm School Project. The initiative was sponsored by Australian Aid and open to youth farmers aged 18 to 35. The cocoa pods produced by the farmers will be used by local companies in the country and exported to generate revenue for the government.

The Minister of State for Finance, Gregory Riviere, praised the determination of the 45 cocoa farming graduates to go through the school project and stated that the government will offer them support in all areas of agriculture. He said the government will provide the young farmers with free land, crop materials, and technical support to ensure their success at their cocoa farming venture.

We recognize that the success of this programme is highly dependent on how much you are able to utilize the knowledge and skills that you have acquired. We are prepared to make lands available to you so that you can put your skills into practice. Furthermore, through the Ministry of Agriculture, we will ensure that you have adequate planting material and technical support to propel you to become the best cocoa producers in Dominica.

Gregory Riviere, Minister of State for Finance

UWP opposition leader and Marigot MP, Lennox Linton, thanked the government for the Cocoa Farm School Project and projected that it will project youth farmers to become successful agriculturists.

President of the North East Cocoa Producers Cooperation, Jennifer Pascal, said students of the cocoa undergo a 12-week practical training on cocoa production before they graduate to become skillful cocoa producers. Some of the subjects they learn at the school include Site Selection, Land Preparation, Crop Maintenance, Harvesting, Standards and Good Agricultural Practices, and Social and Business Skills.

At the end of the training period, the young farmers must set up a cocoa nursery for demonstration purposes and then cultivate cocoa crops that will prove their expertise with cocoa crop production.

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