BY LYNTON AARON FILIA
SOLOMON Islands Cocoa and Chocolate Festival is set for April 30 – May 5 and will involve chocolate-makers and buyers from the United Kingdom and Oceania.
The festival is spearheaded by the Strongim Bisnis Programme, Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Programme (PHAMA), Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, ADRA, CEMA and RDP.
According to the team, the festival will showcase Solomon Islands’ cocoa to boutique and fine flavour chocolate-makers and cocoa buyers from the United Kingdom and Oceania.
Main highlights for that event is to promote country’s cocoa quality in a form of competition for Solomon Islands cocoa farmers and processers.
The competition is open to all cocoa farmers who properly ferment and sun-dry their cocoa.
Visiting chocolate makers and cocoa buyers will judge the competition.
“This is a chance to show premium market cocoa buyers the quality of your cocoa,” the team said.
CEMA Chief Produce Inspector Mr Patterson Siliota said currently they are giving out forms and sample plastics to interested cocoa farmers across the country.
They encourage local farmer who are interested to collect forms at CEMA office.
To local farmers in the provinces, Siliota said they will provide further materials and send them out this week.
So far, Siliota said they have not received any entry from local farmers yet.
To enter the competition, local farmers are required to send an entry form and one 5kg sample of sun-dried cocoa beans to CEMA in Honiara (only one sample per producer).
Participants make sure samples are received by CEMA no later than 4.30pm on Wednesday, 25 April 25, 2018.
1st prize – international cocoa trade visit valued at SBD60,000
2nd prize – goods to the value of SBD12,000
3rd prize – goods to the value of SBD8,000
