The Solomon Islands Agriculture Rural Transformation (SIART) project, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL), has successfully completed a two-week “Training of Trainers” (TOT) program in Malaita Province. The training aimed to equip agricultural extension officers, SIART project Young Professionals (YPs), and Community Resource Persons (CRPs) with essential skills and knowledge in cocoa agronomy and management.
Held from March 10th to March 24th, 2025, the program focused on promoting sustainable cocoa farming practices to enhance both production and product quality for local and international cocoa markets. The training combined both theoretical and practical components, ensuring participants gained hands-on experience.
During the first week, participants attended workshops covering a range of topics, including:
• Introduction to cross-cutting issues
• Overview of the cocoa cropping and production lifecycle
• Best practices for cocoa farming, including identifying quality trees
• Soil management and fertility enhancement
• Cocoa pest and disease management
•Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies
• Pruning and grafting techniques
• Harvesting, fermentation, drying, and quality control of processed beans
• Value addition, marketing, and record-keeping for cocoa (production and financial records)
The second week featured practical field demonstrations across six Cocoa Agribusiness Producers Organizations (ABPOs) in Malaita Province, focusing on cocoa pruning, grafting, and disease management techniques.
Key Objectives Achieved by the TOT Program:
• Enhance Knowledge: Deepened participants’ understanding of sustainable cocoa farming and pest management.
• Skill Development: Equipped trainers with technical skills for hands-on farmer training.
• Community Engagement: Promoted the inclusion of women and community members in cocoa farming activities.
• Sustainability Promotion: Encouraged environmentally sustainable and climate-smart farming methods.
• Resource Sharing: Distributed cocoa training manuals, guides, and learning materials.
Participants expressed their appreciation for the program, noting increased confidence and practical knowledge, particularly in IPM techniques, pruning, and grafting. Many have committed to developing community action plans within their ABPOs to apply their new skills, ensuring improved cocoa farming practices and greater sustainability.
John Tatalo, SIART Capacity Building Officer and TOT facilitator, remarked, “The Training of Trainers program is a significant step toward improving cocoa farming practices and enhancing the livelihoods of farmers in Malaita, Makira Ulawa, and Guadalcanal—our three project provinces.”
He emphasized that the skills and knowledge gained will contribute to sustainable growth in the cocoa sector, benefiting not only ABPOs and local farmers but also the broader cocoa industry across the Solomon Islands.
Tatalo further explained that the Capacity Building component is designed to strengthen the capabilities of stakeholders, including farmers, to successfully implement project activities and achieve SIART’s overarching goals.
The SIART project’s development objective is to increase production and improve market access for selected agri-food commodities in Malaita, Guadalcanal, and Makira Ulawa provinces. Cocoa is one of the key commodities prioritized for support through financial grants under the SIART project.
The next step ahead now is the Cocoa “Training of Trainers” program will next be rolled out in Makira Ulawa and Guadalcanal provinces.
The Ends////
-MAL
