As great exporters of the best quality of fine flavor cocoa of the world, we aim to preserve its planting and give cocoa growers and their families all the necessary support and knowledge to improve their crops and to maintain our NATIVE CACAO. Our social responsibility project started in Vinces – Los Rios Province working with approximately 500 cocoa growers in an area of 2000 hectares.
COFINA S. A., through the CACAO NATIVO PROJECT has undertaken to develop and fulfill the following goals:
- To preserve and foster in a sustainable way the planting and production of Arriba Cocoa.
- To integrate all the producers of Arriba Cocoa to the Project.
- To train all cocoa beans growers that are members of the project.
- To attend and improve life conditions of cocoa growers and their families.
- To guarantee that 100% of our Arriba Cocoa becomes certified and of the best and highest quality.
ANECACAO and COFINA
Cofina S. A., along with the Asociación Nacional de Exportadores de Cacao del Ecuador ANECACAO, conducts training and technical lectures for its producers. During the last one it was discussed the theme “Itchgrass control in cocoa farming”. There was a good acceptance and attendance of various cocoa growers of Vinces canton, Los Rios Province
TRAININGS
Cofina S. A. holds trainings and field days with the cocoa growers that are members of the CACAO NATIVO project to improve their knowledge regarding harvest and post-harvest, physical and sensory evaluations, organic agriculture, good agriculture practices among other themes, and involving them in the production of best quality cocoa.
FUMIGATIONS AND APPLICATIONS
Through our Native Cocoa Project, Cofina S. A. has executed Joint Ventures with Biotecdor and Fresco Ecuador who provide organic agriculture inputs and Green Label to the producers to make preventive control of different plagues and diseases of the crops.
GRAFTINGS
We seek to recuperate sick and non-productive plantations of Arriba Cacao making renewal pruning (rejuvenation) and grafting using the stem cuttings of trees that are more productive and disease resistant to reproduce in the unproductive trees.
SAMPLINGS AND ANALYSIS
Through our CACAO NATIVO Project and along with our technical team, we perform soil analysis in different plantations of our cocoa producers to monitor macro and micro nutrients, pesticides and heavy metals.
PLOTS
We work in experimental plots in La Carmela, San Antonio and Estero de Caña.
PRUNING
We train our associated cocoa growers in labors as shape and phytosanitary pruning to prevent the incidence of plant pathogens in the plantation.
TECHNICAL VISITS
Within our CACAO NATIVO Project, we make technical visits to all our producers to monitor and perform cultural labor of farming in an excellent way.