PIND is already implementing interventions in aquaculture, cassava, poultry, and palm oil sectors. With some of the interventions attaining full maturity and reaching scale, PIND is now expanding into the cocoa sector. The cocoa sector has growth potential and ability to increase income and employment.
Within 5 years, PIND’s vision is that the cocoa industry in the Niger Delta will be characterized by improved linkages and communications between smallholder farmers and the processors and exporters, with mutual incentives. The industry will have a strong supporting services providers delivering the inputs, extension, and technologies that smallholder farmers need to upgrade leading to increasing productivity and higher quality cocoa to meet market demand.
This vision will be achieved by working in three strategic areas:
- Enhancing better coordination of the value chain by improving relationships between producers, aggregators (licensed buying agents and factors) and exporters.
- Ensuring the quality of cocoa beans through improvements in primary processing and postharvest activities (pod breaking, fermentation, drying) by introducing enhanced technologies and advocacy on the benefits of good quality beans.
- Increasing productivity and yield in cocoa plantations by working with input companies and agro dealers to demonstrate good agronomic practices.
