Cocoa growers to start chocolate factory
Last updated
9/30/2007 9:52:29 AM
The Tailevu Cocoa Growers and Produces Cooperative Association aims to start a chocolate factory closer to Korovou town to develop the potential that it had started in the last few years. After returning from a visit to Sweden with the help of Cocoa Bello, seven farmers from the association were eager to move forward with the products they had produced from within their own village.
Association chairman Joseva Serulagilagi said it had the quality it wanted to produce the best chocolate locally.
He said Cocoa Bello was willing to help the association to buy and ship the machines that it wanted for its factory.
“What we need now is to put up a factory may be in Namau but the problem is that the infrastructure is not there. Like electricity, proper water system the roads and many other things,” said Mr Serulagilagi.
But, he said, we are going to move it to Korovou right now because it has all the infrastructure.
“We can start with what we can do right now in Namau and we will try and push government to revive the cocoa industry once again,” he said.
Mr Serulagilagi said the association plans to tackle the niche market in the Tourism Industry and he was thinking of meeting the interim Minister of Labour and Tourism Bernadette Rounds Ganilau.
He said the most important thing now is how do we create employment in the rural areas, as that is the only way we can stop urbanization.
