Articles

2015 letter from the JCFA President

Dear Cocoa Farmers

I wish for you and your family a prosperous 2015.

Let me first of all thank you for your continued support during 2014 and hope that we will continue to work together this year and beyond to help you produce more of the best cocoa for the world market. 2014 was a difficult year not just for cocoa farmers but for the entire country but we are strong and we know how to grow and get better even in tough times.

All of us are united in wanting the best prices for our cocoa. This is my passion and dream as your President.

In order for us to earn even higher prices for our cocoa, rx we must do a lot of work including:

• Putting more land into cocoa;
• Rehabilitating the cocoa orchards that we already have;
• Improving how we plant, care for our crops, reap, transport and dry our cocoa beans;
• Using our cocoa beans to make other products such as chocolate, beverages, skin care products such as lotion, to sell locally and abroad;
• Getting more young people and women involved in the cocoa industry;
• Improving our systems so that the JCFA can serve you better; and,
• Uniting to achieve our common vision for the cocoa industry.

We have already started the work. During 2014, we have trained hundreds of farmers, rehabilitated … acres of cocoa farms and returned $...M to our cocoa farmers which is 30% more that you would get from selling your cocoa to other buyers. Let us continue the work this year.

I know that we are still making payments to some farmers for the cocoa they sold to us some time ago. We intend to complete the schedule of payments as soon as possible. In meantime, we are looking to buy even more cocoa this year. I am confident that you will support your organization, the JCFA.