Cocoa a brand, not just a crop

When it comes to Trinidad and Tobago cocoa, local and international enthusiasts are many.

“The quality of cocoa in TT is amazing,” said Netherlands ambassador Raphaël Varga van Kibéd in a recent interview. Jettisoning the restrained language associated with diplomacy, the ambassador declared: “It is the highest quality in the world.”

Mr Varga van Kibéd is not the only fan.

Cocoa is a source of pride in this country, which has a long history of production.

Recent books such as Amanda Smyth’s novel Fortune have underlined just how important the crop once was and how the demise of its dominance was a key turning point as our economy moved away from being agrarian to being dependent on petrochemicals and manufacturing.

But despite all this history and global enthusiasm, the sector has not been able to fully match the fervour and meet demand.

According to the Cocoa Development Company (CDC), the industry is facing hard times.

Appearing before a parliamentary committee in March, the CDC board said the sector was threatened by a lack of investment, climate change and agri-related diseases. The CDC itself is understaffed and has been facing “severe financial difficulties,” according to company chairman Jacqueline Rawlins.

Minister of Agriculture Kazim Hosein, under whose remit the company falls, met with CDC officials on Monday to discuss the company’s operations.

We hope the outcome of this dialogue is a clear path forward that focuses not only on what the CDC needs to be sustainable and to fulfil its mandate, but also on enhancing the sector as a whole so that a range of interests can push cocoa even further.

What is needed now are not just things like the mere filling of vacancies, but an appropriate plan that allows producers and stakeholders to maximise what Independent Senator Anthony Vieira has referred to as “the whole cocoa value chain.”

While civil servants have asserted the industry is a priority area for the Government and that the new minister has been in office for only a few weeks, it’s disturbing that the CDC was allowed to reach its present position after several years of the same minister in office.

Cocoa is potentially a key earner of revenue. At a moment when the economy needs to veer further away from oil and gas, this potential cash crop is one avenue through which diversification and local enterprise can be encouraged.

If the State does not get its act in order, it will miss out on the momentum which some independent cocoa producers have been riding.

We need to hear more about public/private collaborations, and entities such as the TT Fine Cocoa Company as well as cocoa farmers who, in 2020, stood to gain $18 million in revenues over two years, according to the trade ministry.

Notwithstanding the success stories, subventions need to be more effectively utilised to develop infrastructure and support, in concert with a sensitivity to emerging trends and an appreciation of brand potential.

For that is what TT’s cocoa is – a brand, not just a crop.