SOLOMON ISLANDS: JOURNEY TO A PREMIUM COCOA MARKET

The Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) Program is supporting Solomon Islands’ cocoa sector to improve the quality  of their bulk cocoa exports to achieve higher prices and develop markets for premium grade cocoa, which is typically smoke/taint-free, well-fermented and graded to remove impurities. This creates a price premium for improved quality cocoa, improving returns for cocoa businesses and growers. PHAMA Plus, and its predecessor PHAMA, supported Cathliro to establish its first premium cocoa market in 2017 with a small export consignment of 200kg to a company in the United Kingdom (UK). The following year, their exports more than doubled to 500kg exported to another premium chocolate-maker in the UK.