The delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture, headed by the Director General, Agronomist Engineer Pierre-Richard René, held its first working day this week in Santander (Northeast, in the Andean region), Colombia.

Received at the La Suiza Research Center, a key facility of the Colombian Agricultural Research Corporation, by the Director General of AGROSAVIA, the delegation visited and met with Colombian professionals and experts at several sites :

- The cocoa seedling production center, with presentations of different varieties and practical grafting exercises;

- The germplasm center, where four varieties/clones (TCS01, TCS06, TCS13, TCS19) were selected from the 640 on which AGROSAVIA has worked;

- A visit to the goat farm, where animal waste is transformed into compost for fertilizing cocoa plots;

- Presentation of the cocoa-based agroforestry system by an expert, outlining the opportunities and constraints;

- Presentation on cadmium control in cocoa agroforestry systems by a Brazilian expert. Analysis of the challenges of cocoa production through six parameters;

- Visit to the cocoa post-harvest station: presentation of traditional and modern methods of cocoa fermentation and drying/dehydration;

- The day concluded with a visit to the cocoa laboratory. Observation and tasting.

IH/ iciHaiti