Organic cocoa farmers draw down $8.3M more in British funding
Stabroek News
June 26, 2004
The British High Commission recently provided a further $8.3 million through the Department for International Development (DFID) as funding for the Mabaruma/Hoso-roro Organic Cocoa Growers Association.
A release from the High Commission said the money will be used to continue the organic cocoa project which was developed following the Prince of Wales' visit to Guyana in February, 2000.
Since then, the British High Commission became integrally involved and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) was tasked with overseeing the project with assistance from the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) and the Ministry of Fisheries, Crops and Livestock.
IICA has since ceased to act in that capacity as the association is handling its own affairs. But although it has shipped out some cocoa over the years the association is still in need of help.
The money earned from sales goes towards the sustainability of the association's efforts while it is the members of the association who provide the cocoa for sale to the association.
An initial one-off payment of 50,000 pounds sterling was made available by DFID on behalf of the British Government to facilitate start-up of the project. And this saw purchase of equipment, clearing of the plots and pruning of the cocoa trees.