The Soul Cocoa Plus Project has continued to make a significant impact on the lives of cocoa farmers in North Malaita, especially as the price of cocoa in the country increases.
Jasper Iniga, one of the members of the ADRA Soul Cocoa Plus Project in Whitestone Village, Lau-Baelelea, North Malaita, is enjoying the benefits of the project.
He has now mentored his two sons to become full-time cocoa farmers, cultivating their cocoa plantation.
Jasper Iniga, 64, from Whitestone Village, Lau Baelelea, who has four children—two boys and two girls—is one of the highest producers of sun-dried cocoa beans in the highlight region of Baelelea.
Mr. Iniga is one of the cocoa farmers in the area where his Sun Dryer Shed was funded by ADRA Solomon Islands. His family and other cocoa farmers in the region benefit from this project. Iniga joined the ADRA Solomon Islands Soul Cocoa Plus Project in 2019.
The project has provided training for farmers and funded their sun-dryer cocoa sheds. Under the project, four sun dryer sheds were funded by the ADRA Soul Cocoa Plus Project in the Baelelea highlands region in North Malaita.
In October 2023, Mr. Iniga was selected by the project to attend a four-day intensive cocoa training funded by the project which was held in Auki. The training provided him with skills and knowledge of proper land management principles. Farmers from four communities in the region, namely Sasafa, Ofatambu, Rakao, and Marokafo, also attended the training.
Meanwhile, Iniga added that he has been involved in cocoa farming for most of his life after he ended his formal employment in Honiara.
“I have 5,000 cocoa trees, which is equivalent to 5 hectares. During the first cocoa competition in the Solomon Islands, I was ranked top 10 the only cocoa farmers from Malaita’’
“I was ranked in the top 10 cocoa competition because of the training ADRA provided for me on harvesting, processing, drying, quality, and marketing. Without ADRA’s training, I wouldn’t have reached this far,” Iniga revealed.
The 56-year-old father mentioned that he is now reaching old age, and his children are taking over his legacy.
“I am getting old now, and in the coming years, I won’t be able to do physical work like harvesting cocoa from the plantation to the sun dryer since our plantation is not close to our village’’
“But the skills and knowledge have been passed on to my two sons. Whether they take it or not, I have shared this knowledge with them because it will be their income for their families in the future. “He explained.
However, during the first-ever Solomon Islands Cocoa and Chocolate Week in 2016, local producers showed how agricultural produce from the Solomon Islands can be internationally competitive.
The Chocolate Week was funded by Australia in partnership with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Solomon Islands, the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Program (PHAMA), the Rural Development Program, the Commodity Export Marketing Authority, and private sector representatives.
During the competition, several overseas chocolate makers visited the Solomon Islands as a part of Chocolate Week to support local farmers to improve the quality of their beans and therefore receive a better export price.
A highlight of Chocolate Week was the week-long tasting and chocolate-making process. The international chocolate makers selected the best cocoa beans from over 50 farmers from six provinces. Next, the top ten cocoa producers Jasper Iniga were chosen to have their beans crafted into chocolate bars.
However, the 56-year-old cocoa farmer told ADRA media that he made the right decision for not continuing to work in Honiara after he ended his formal employment at Mendana Hotel.
“I worked for Mendana Hotel as a driver, night auditor, cashier, and receptionist from 1984 to 2001. I ended my employment with the hotel due to the ethnic tension in the country and decided to come back home to start planting cocoa,”
“Since that time, I have stayed home and concentrated on the cocoa business. I have earned money from cocoa, built my house, and even my children have benefited from our cocoa business. I do not regret the decision to come back home and get involved in cocoa farming. If I had continued staying in Honiara after ending my formal employment, I don’t think I would have come this far. I am very thankful to ADRA for the training they provided, which has greatly benefited me and my family,” Mr. Iniga excitedly said during an interview with ADRA media.
Today, Mr. Iniga and his children continue to sell their dried cocoa beans at the local market, earning a good income for their family.
“We have no problem with money here in the village. Every fortnight, we earn between $4,000 and $8,000 from selling our cocoa beans to a local buyer in Auki. The money we earn supports my family, ’Mr Iniga testified.
