Chambellan 1 (Grand Anse)
Participants
#1.Michel Jean Daniel: M; 56yrs ;4em seconde; 4 kids ; farmer, taylor ; 30yrs in coop
#2.Leon Achille : M; 70yrs; Prime ; 7 kids ; farmer; 30yrs in coop
#3.Jems Magloire: M; 27yrs; University; no kids; accountant; 3months in coop
#4.Nel Daphenis: M; 68yrs; Prime; 6 kids; farmer; 15yrs in coop
#5.Florestal Hem: M; 28yrs Rheto; no kids; breeder; 1yr in coop
#6.Archange Jean Louis: Gason ; 53yrs ; 5em seconde; 9 kids ; agroculture agent; 30yrs in coop
#7.Joseph Vatil :M; 52yrs; 3em seconde ; 4 kids ; organization animator ; 18yrs in coop
#8.Joseph Amose: M; 52yrs; Preparatwa 2; 4 kids; farmer; 20yrs in coop
#9.Asord Sulface St. Louis: F; 72yrs ; Prime; 3 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop
#10.Charles Maissance: M; 60yrs; None; 9 kids; farmer; 24yrs in coop
#11.Castilan Estavil: M; 35yrs; 7em sekonde; 4 kids; farmer; 1yr in coop
#12.Fouland Rene: M; 45yrs; 8em sekonde; 10 kids; farmer; 1yr in coop
#13.Cenatus Br.Precinord: F; 50yrs; 5em sekonde; 2 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop
#15.Domenncer Frantz: M; 27yrs; University; 2 kids; agronomist; 1yr in coop
For us not to lose or forgot all important information provided by you , the farmers of Chambellan, our team came up with an idea to recording all that is being said. Another part of our team will sit down and listen to every single word that has been said by you. All information provided by you is vital to our team. In order for us to do this process successfully we came up with a system. Lets say for example we have this lady over there who is answering one of the questions asked and her answer held very important imfomation; on the other hand you have me whose voice is very loud , I started talking and interrupt our lady over there. For us to avoid something like that from happening, each person is associated with a number and when he wanst to answer a question he wil raise his number and waited until the current person talking finish. We use this system because all of your answers are valuable to us.
According to you, why is cocoa a good product?
#4.Nel Daphenis: M; 68yrs; Prime; 6 kids; farmer; 15yrs in coop: Cocoa is a good product by the way its being manage; by its participating in the making of liqour drinks, and all other things that its envovled in. Cocoa is a very important thing. It’s always ready to be use at any time.
#9.Asord Sulface St. Louis: F; 72yrs; Prime; 3 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop: Well, cocoa is good for everything. Liqour drinks are made out of cocoa, cocoa is sold and give us money, it puts our children in school, cocoa dresses us, and cocoa do all kinds of different things. There are some places, not here; if cocoa is well prepared people would eat it. They can make hot chocolate out of it and everything else.
Do people here eat cocoa?
#9.Asord Sulface St. Louis: F; 72yrs; Prime; 3 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop: No, we don’t eat it here but we know that they make hot chocolate from it. We eat in hot chocolate. We drink it in hot chocolate.
Some people said that cocoa is cooked food.
#9.Asord Sulface St. Louis: F; 72yrs ; Prime; 3 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop: Cookies are made out of it. Yes, cocoa is a cooked food because you can make cookies from it and you eat cookies; you made hot chocolate from it and you drink it. That is a cooked food.
Do you make any kind of remedies from it?
#9.Asord Sulface St. Louis: F; 72yrs ; Prime; 3 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop: Cocoa? Well, I don’t know. I have not seen anyone used it for remedy. I can’t say yes they do.
#1.Michel Jean Daniel: M; 56yrs ;4em seconde; 4 kids ; farmer, taylor ; 30yrs in coop:The reason they said cocoa is a cooked food that is because it doesn’t take long time. As soon as you harvest it and with the new formantation project you take it to a fermantion center you get your money. All the other products take longer time to make money from them.
#7.Joseph Vatil :M; 52yrs; 3em seconde ; 4 kids ; organization animator ;18yrs in coop: Not to repeat what had been said by my fellow friend, cocoa protects the earth, it’s a tree.
How many different varities of cocoa there are?
#6.Archange Jean Louis: Gason ; 53yrs ; 5em seconde; 9 kids ; agroculture agent; 30yrs in coop: We know Criolo, Forastero and Trinitario.
Do the planters have different names for those type of cocoa?
#6.Archange Jean Louis: Gason ; 53yrs ; 5em seconde; 9 kids ; agroculture agent; 30yrs in coop: Yes, the farmers, the planters, some say local cocoa, cocoa caraf, foreign cocoa. They say white cocoa and some alse said cocoa violet.
The three main names you mentioned, Criolo, Forestero, Trinitario, are foreign, the farmers have different names for them, what other name they use for Criolo?
#1.Michel Jean Daniel: M; 56yrs ;4em seconde; 4 kids ; farmer, taylor ; 30yrs in coop: For the farmers, like number 6 said, they know the scientific names for this variaty or that variaty because of trainings they took. But for everyday language, for planters and the locals, its Local cocoa, Foreign cocoa, and sometimes they said White cocoa. That’s why you won’t hear a farmer says Criolo. Criolo is known as the Local cocoa, the old cocoa.When the farmers speak in their own language they said Local cocoa. There are white cocoa and foriegn cocoa_ another partisipant interrupted_ We have Cocoa Caraf_#1 continued_ No, Caraf is the color. To identify the different varieties we said White cocoa, Local cocoa, and Foreign cocoa.
What do you mean by White cocoa, let’s say for example we have foreign expert asking…_Partisipant started answering_.
#1.Michel Jean Daniel: M; 56yrs ;4em seconde; 4 kids ; farmer, taylor ; 30yrs in coop:Reason we said White cocoa was because in the old day, we had two big farms, Mafran and Bourdon Demas. At that time I was very young and didn’t know their nationality but they were foriegners; it was them who came with that variety. Well, hummmm let’s say 40 years ago when I was a young boy when my parents needed cocoa seeds you would either go to Mafran farm , Franklin farm or Bourdoun farm. You would need to go to one of these three places.We said White cocoa because its was white people who came with that variety. The original variety is what we call local cocoa; in technical language it’s called Criolo.
Did foriegners also come with forestero and trinitario?
#1.Michel Jean Daniel: M; 56yrs ;4em seconde; 4 kids ; farmer, taylor ; 30yrs in coop: At that time, those farmers did not get any trainings for that. That investigation came through the minister of agriculture. When I was a young boy, The Minister of Agriculture had nurseries and people who are interested would just took them to plant without knowing what varieties they were. We got to know the differences from trainings given by NGOs and other organizations.
What about cocoa caraf?
#1.Michel Jean Daniel: M; 56yrs ;4em seconde; 4 kids ; farmer, taylor ; 30yrs in coop:Caraf is the color. The 3 names #6 gave you are the 3 different varieties. You see , the farmers don’t really know the name Criolo and Trinitario. _Interviewer acknowledged _ The farmers know local cocoa_ # 1 continued _They know white cocoa and foreign cocoa. White cocoa was introduced during the time of Shadda with the Mafran farm and the two othe agriculture farms I mentioned before. That is why it’s called white cocoa or foreign cocoa.
What month is cocoa harvest in?
#2.Leon Achille : M; 70yrs; Prime ; 7 kids ; farmer; 30yrs in coop: Well, emhummmm, cocoa is harvest twice a year. The big harvest is in August, Septembert, October until November. The small harvest is in March and April_ Silence_ those two seasons.
Is there another one?
Several in audience: He said all.
As cocoa farmers, during the cocoa season how do you spend your days?
#10.Charles Maissance: M; 60yrs; None; 9 kids; farmer; 24yrs in coop: At time like that, you got up and say « I am going to pick cocoa ». Sometimes you take the children with you to farm. While you’ll be picking they gathered. Ones with sting you left them under the trees and the children later would take them for themselves and the good ones you set apart to break later. You can’t break them on same day because it was so much back then; now you don’t get that much any more.
Between the wife and the husband, who pickes cocoa?
#10.Charles Maissance: M; 60yrs; None; 9 kids; farmer; 24yrs in coop: Sorry?
If we have husband and wife_#10 starts talking_
#10.Charles Maissance: M; 60yrs; None; 9 kids; farmer; 24yrs in coop: Well, the husband picks and the wife and kids gathered.
_Several people in audiance are talking and chairs are moving_
Who carries it to sell?
#10.Charles Maissance: M; 60yrs; None; 9 kids; farmer; 24yrs in coop: Who carries it ? Well, after you break them you put in a makout[1] on an animal back to carry home. First you have to break them before you can them home.
Who does that in the family?
#10.Charles Maissance: M; 60yrs; None; 9 kids; farmer; 24yrs in coop: The man does that. The wife comes along to help, sometimes when tying the makout on the animal she helps with that.
Who dries the cocoa?
#10.Charles Maissance: M; 60yrs; None; 9 kids; farmer; 24yrs in coop: Wife does it, she does it._ A partisipan asked_ And you?_#10 continued: Often you get up early go to the farm with the animals when the wife gets up she sets it out to dry on the floor.
Partisipant not identified: Drying is for women.
What is the most difficult task for you in the cocoa production?
#4.Nel Daphenis: M; 68yrs; Prime; 6 kids; farmer; 15yrs in coop: What is most difficult in the production is somtimes after you break the cocoa there are no place to set it out to dry.When it rains the danre[2] will get spoil ,if you don’t a have a place to dry the cocoa.
#11.Castilan Estavil: M; 35yrs; 7em sekonde; 4 kids; farmer; 1yr in coop: What is more difficult for the danre hummmmm is taking care of it. That’s the most difficult.
#8.Joseph Amose: M; 52yrs; Preparatwa 2; 4 kids; farmer; 20yrs in coop: We farmers can spend for 4 days picking the danre but there are problems for it to be dry. You cannot bring cocoa that’s not well dried to cooperative that would be a failure to the cooperative. It needs to be well dried. If we have floors to set them out to dry that would protect us.
Are there things that women cannot do in the cocoa production?
Partisipant(M): One thing women can’t do, some tree are very high, you know the cocoa we called Criolo can can be very tall , a woman can’t climb one to pick cocoa. Where the pods are in the branches a man can’t reach them and he needs a long stick to pick them.Sometimes he needs to climb the trees to do that, that is something a woman can’t do.
Are there things a man cannot do?
Partisipant(M): A man can do everything, I’m not saying in everything, but in term of farming. Cocoa is a hard work, to pick is one, breaking it is another, and if you don’t have animals you have to carry it home on your head and sometimes the kids would have to help you carry.
Explain the process of cocoa selling starting from you to whom else it might be sold too.
#4.Nel Daphenis: M; 68yrs; Prime; 6 kids; farmer; 15yrs in coop: Drying the danre is a step then it needs to be transported to the expotors from here to Dame Marie, from Dame Marie to Port au Prince, and from Port au Prince to abroad.When you know how much is sold for it would be better if we know what to do and what not to do with it. We all are here is because we are members in the cooperative, we would like to know the process of selling it abroad. Although we are not asking how much it its being sold abroad but we want a selling price that favorable to us farmers._a chair is moved_
#6.Archange Jean Louis: Gason ; 53yrs ; 5em seconde; 9 kids ; agroculture agent; 30yrs in coop: You talking about how the cocoa is sold, its can sold in several different ways. Depending on the planter, if he has any economic problem, or how the cocoa is prepared there can be sevral different buyers. It can be sold in the cooperative or we have what we called voltije[3]famously know as zombie who comes directly to planters house with a sack on his back and buys cocoa by a gode[4]. We also have speculators and expotors. Now the voltije takes the cocoa in town or in commune and sells it to the balancer also known as speculators. The balancer or the speculator has another buyer on top of him who is the expotor. The speculator then would take the cocoa to Dame Marie or Jeremy to the expotor. The expotor takes the cocoa to Port au Prince to be sold abroad. Cocoa has sevral stages when being sold, from the planter to voltije zombie to speculators then to expotors. Some planters are members in the cooperative they sell direckly to the cooperative.Some who are not members might sell to speculators or to zombies who buy it from them at their houses. That is how cocoa is sold in the Grand-Anse
Who else in Dame Marie buys cocoa?
#1.Michel Jean Daniel: M; 56yrs ;4em seconde; 4 kids ; farmer, taylor ; 30yrs in coop: Besides speculators and expotors there are other machann[5]who buys from balancers (speculators) who transforms it into chocolate and sells in Port au Prince. They are from other communes like Abrico, Moron and Dame Marie. They come here in Chambellan and buy using balances from speculators. They transform that cocoa to chocolate and go to Port au Prince with it.
Do they buy directly from the farmers?
#1.Michel Jean Daniel: M; 56yrs ;4em seconde; 4 kids ; farmer, taylor ; 30yrs in coop: No, from speculators. Farmers are not eager to sell their cocoa to a chocolate machann because they don’t buy from them all the time. They usually buy during market days or sometimes in the week. Machanns know which speculator has cocoa and buy from him.
As women, what do you find to be the most difficult thing in cocoa production?
_Music is playing_
#9.Asord Sulface St. Louis: F; 72yrs; Prime; 3 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop: What is most difficult for us is there some transformation that is being done elsewhere with cocoa we’re not able to do them because there things we don’t have.If we had a cocoa mill around here we would grind the cocoa to make chocolate and sell it. There some places its bring a quite amount of money but we can’t do that here because we don’t have the equipments.
#13.Cenatus Br.Precinord: F; 50yrs; 5em sekonde; 2 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop: For me the most difficult thing is when it rains and we don’t floors dry it. When it does not get enough sun it turns black. We have to buy nats[6]to set it on. During the northern rain we have a lot of difficulties to dry the cocoa.
Do you plant cocoa or do they just grow by themselves?
#9.Asord Sulface St. Louis: F; 72yrs; Prime; 3 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop: We plant.
How the planting process is is done?
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: First we do the nursery. We prepared the saplings after 2 or 3 months we took them to the farm for beddings.
Would someone else likes to add more on the planting process?
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: What I also would like, although here we don’t use cocoa like some of the other places,_A child is crying_from what I see cocoa has , we want a better revenue. Through the cooperative some of us should learn how to make all the different goods that being made out of cocoa such as chocolate, tablet[7], rum and cremas[8]. We want to see all the potential of cocoa, everything that can be done with cocoa so tomorrow it can help us. But we have not get to the point where that can in done through the cooperative.
While we are talking about the most difficult thing in the production, after all the work is done such as cleaning are you left with a good profit? Do you get more money than what you spent?
#1.Michel Jean Daniel: M; 56yrs ;4em seconde; 4 kids ; farmer, taylor ; 30yrs in coop: Emmmmm , that depends on th farmer and also his level of economics. Some planters have an hectar or half hectar land of cocoa and maybe that was left to him through his father or mother; that planter might not have enough resources to care for that land regularly. When we say cleaning that means hoeing out all the bad grass, he controls ehummmmm, he assesses and removes all parisites. Well, that’s why he’s not making much profit. After all that work is done , in Haiti we say ehummmm broke, the farmer would say “ I am broke” because the profit he makes is used to care for the family , sents the kids to school, pays for tuition and uniforms,etc. Well, even after the harvest, depending on how much cocoa land he has, is still not enough resource for him to care for all his needs.
To clean an acre of cocoa land can a farmer does it by himself of does he need to buy a kove[9]_Respondant answed before question is finish_
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: A kove esqward[10]as we say is very expensive around here. For a planter to clean an acre of cocoa land he needs quiet an amount of money. The rate for half a day is 200 gourdes[11] per person and you also need to feed them.Well , sometimes a planter does have enough money to pay for an esquad of 10 to 15 people; that’s a lot of money. We only get help from the cooperatives and oftentimes planters have to be contant with only the harvest because they are not able to care for the land. The majority of out planters are small farmers they don’t have that much, for one to say a lot of money is coming to them; they are small farmers. They always ask the cooperative to help them find a possibility or a way to care for their cocoa farm.
How days would you need that squad for?
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: It depends on the amout of land that is being clean up.
If it’s an acre?
Partisipant (M): If its one acre that depends, you understand me, it depends on how many workers he hires for the day. You see, that depends on how many workers you have. One acre can take a whole week to clean with a big esquad.
Several in the audience (M,F): Some esquad consisted of 10 to 15 workers. That is how you pay for a day of work.
How many manit[12] or pounds of cocoa can you make after harvesting an acre of cocoa land?
Partisipant (M): I told you that varies.That depends on what is planted on the land.
If he pays that much money for a kove, how much profit would that leaves him with?
Partisipant (M): Another planter would need to answer that.
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: Once a year a farmer might make 4 or 5 sacks of cocoa; depending on the price at the time he wouldn’t be able to cover the price of cleaning. Maybe the next year he might gain that profit back but not the same year where he pays to have it clean. There are two stages of cleaning the cocoa; after the ground work the trees need grooming. You need to groom the trees. That is a total of two separate cleaning; that’s money being spent. You can’t let the trees die, you have to clean them. Some people have revenue coming from other places but selling 4 sacks of cocoa the way cocoa is being sold right now you won’t be able to make a profit the money you invested.
_ a participant is speaking on the phone_
How would you compare your day as cocoa producer compare to your parents, what is the diffirent?
#2.Leon Achille : M; 70yrs; Prime ; 7 kids ; farmer; 30yrs in coop: Some of the works that are being done today, elders back in the day didn’t do them. In the old day they would just harvest the farm and waited for the next year’s harvest. Nowadays we have more experiences; cocoa is considered now like our main harvest. Cocoa has done so much for us; it’s our relief, with it we are able to give our children an eduction and answer the needs for our family. Now we take better of it. Some farmers are part of an organization some don’t, those who are not part of an organization care for their farm vay ke vay[13] but those who are in organizations or in the cooperative find better way to care for their farms. We groomed our trees like we just said; we mowed our land in order for the land for to give us a better harvest. Well, I can say now we have a better caring system because we have a better understanding.
#10.Charles Maissance: M; 60yrs; None; 9 kids; farmer; 24yrs in coop: Eeee, for the question that brother just asked , in the old day when I used to go with my grandfather to the farm ,I used to only see weeds here and there. Now, we have those annoying weeds although you cut them today god willing they are back the next day.You don’t know where they are from_A child is crying very loud_in the danre.You working suddenly you see a bunch of stupid vines, you cut them out next thing you know they are climbing the trees. The parents didn’t go through that misery in the past.
Do you have other problems, other difficulties_Partisipant replied before question is complete_?
#10.Charles Maissance: M; 60yrs; None; 9 kids; farmer; 24yrs in coop: Again we have the birds issue, all they do is wast cocoa. We have what you call rats._Big emphasis on that sentence _The trees would be bearing fruits and they climb up the trees and eat the fruits; when you go under the trees you just see white seeds. Now, the woodpeckers they are worst then the others, as soon as they pick on fruits they turn dark and refuse to grow bigger. Then we have the ants, those big ants come to the country like I said to put us in more misery.You have your tree and the next thing you know they built a nest on them preventing the trees from producing fruits. Like I said, that too much problem for us.
What type ants are they?
Partisipant (F): A bunch of big ants, not like small ants in the old days. They are the invaders._Several in the audience are talking at the same time.
Do you have a name for them?
Several in the audience (M,F): Minustah[14]
Partisipant (M): Minister of agriculture did some intervention to see what they could do, but we named them the invaders.
What is the name you call them?
Partisipant(G): Big ants, bigger than normal ants
I am sorry?
Several in the audience(F,M): We call them Minustah_ Audience laughing_
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: We call them Minustah_Laughing_ As an ant technician, the reason we can’t get rid of the ants is because those ants are being populated underground.The medications given to get rid of them such as termidor, optigade,and huile desix , if we use them we will lost most all of our harvest. The ants that you see are ones taking food for the queen, she doesn’t go out. She populated underground, under straws or places that are cold. Now if she attacks a plant it has no way of surving. Here in Haiti the only thing she has not yet been attack are beans. She attacks corn, cocoa, and yam. As for yam she almost completely destroys it.
Do love working as a cocoa producer?
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: Yes
Why?
#6.Archange Jean Louis: Gason ; 53yrs ; 5em seconde; 9 kids ; agriculture agent; 30yrs in coop: Because cocoa is a very important revenue for us. We have two season a year, big season and small season. Sometimes even after both seasons we harvest a few pods to make into chocolate for the house. Well, it’s a culture that we love
Even with all the difficulties?
#6.Archange Jean Louis: Gason ; 53yrs ; 5em seconde; 9 kids ; agroculture agent; 30yrs in coop: Yes, yes
#1.Michel Jean Daniel: M; 56yrs ;4em seconde; 4 kids ; farmer, taylor ; 30yrs in coop: One of the other reason that we love cocoa is that cocoa is a plant that can live for a very long time. It can live up to 70, 80 years. It survives through hurrican, even when a big storm throw the tree down, it produces new stem to produce new trees. Another advantage cocoa gives, the dead leaves fertilize the land. Some farmers use the leaves as fertilizer to plant yam and some other products. There are some insects such as Maroka[15] who would attack the yam. To prevent that from happening, farmers added cocoa straw or cocoa skin in the hole when planting yam. That in itself is a type of fertilizer and that insect can’t live in it and wouldn’t be able to attack the plant. The cocoa leaves are big help to us. Not only cocoa gives us money but the leaves are use as fertilizers to enrich and feed the land.
#6.Archange Jean Louis: Gason ; 53yrs ; 5em seconde; 9 kids ; agroculture agent; 30yrs in coop: I want to add something else. You don’t cut cocoa trees to make charcoal, that protects the environment.That is why wherever you have cocoa there are always many trees.
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: Eummmmm, we cannot not like it no matter how it comes because we believe it’s only this product and coffee in our production that is been shipped abroad.
How the children are involve in the cocoa production?
#1.Michel Jean Daniel: M; 56yrs ;4em seconde; 4 kids ; farmer, taylor ; 30yrs in coop: What the children do, what the children do in the cocoa production ones that are old enough when you are going to the farm you bring them along . While you’ll be picking cocoa they gathered and pilled them. Then we transport it home.It only now that cocoa has great impotance. If cocoa was valued like it is now many mothers by now would be better off and many children would have had a better eduction too. I remember when I was a boy when we would picking cocoa and they treated cocoa vay ke vay.It was not being sold for a good price; prices were like 50 cent 60 cent. Now cocoa is not being sold for nothing; it’s a valuable product and a lot of people don’t know the importance like the elders before they died. Now when the children gathered cocoa and helped carry it home, thet dried it. You break some cocoa now and then take it home, tomorrow you put it out to dry on Sunday or Monday you can sell it. You don’t go to all that misery you went through in the old day. If cocoa was valued we would be better off. Because I remembered I did that
#13.Cenatus Br.Precinord: F; 50yrs; 5em sekonde; 2 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop: Well, what I see in cocoa now , true it was not value but we were able to manage it. Now, we have the floor issue (drying system)[16]. Cocoa produces many several different resouces like liquor drinks cookies but we are not at the level where we could do all that; cocoa has many importance points.
#2.Leon Achille : M; 70yrs; Prime ; 7 kids ; farmer; 30yrs in coop: As we are talking about how children are in envlove in the cocoa production, the children provide many services. Sometimes when the parents are away from home, the children would take the cocoa inside after a drying in sun for that day. Some parents who live far away in the countryside and they don’t have an animal to help carry the cocoa the children help carry it to town (market). That’s how children are involved in the production.
Do the children also sell cocoa?
#2.Leon Achille : M; 70yrs; Prime ; 7 kids ; farmer; 30yrs in coop: They help their parents with carrying to town.
#12.Fouland Rene: M; 45yrs; 8em sekonde; 10 kids; farmer; 1yr in coop: Sometimes you bring the children along with you and the cocoas that are sting you give them to the children. They break and sell them and make some pocket money. You understand what that means, that means the children help all the time in the production. That’s why you would always need the children.
#6.Archange Jean Louis: Gason ; 53yrs ; 5em seconde; 9 kids ; agroculture agent; 30yrs in coop:When you talking about what the children do in the cocoa production , in general children are envolved . It depends on how old they are. When it comes to all the major work that’s the adult responsibility .Some of the children are in school. During harvest you sell cocoa and pay for their school. You sent them to school for education. There is some work that children should not be doing in the production. Children have their own roles, which is why some countries prevent some children from working in the cocoa production because of their ages. Those countries will not buy cocoa from you if they know you make your children work in the production. Some of the work in the production if you let your children do them that is like the slavery system. It depends on their age, some children are old enough to help in the harvest but you as a parent it’s your job to harvest the cocoa and send your kids to school. When we talking about children, no matter who they are either they are living with their parents or living with someone else, we should not get them envolve working in the production because they are too young. I would like to add something else. When we are talking about children, children, children ,everyone has a role in the family because there is a wife there is a husband, some work are not for the wife in the same way there things children should not be envolved in. Some people use children who live with them to carry a load of cocoa that is normaly carried by an adult. Especially in the cocoa production, in harvesting cocoa and in the selling some work is not for children depending on their age. Those are adult work. Your job to harvet cocoa and send the children to school.
#4.Nel Daphenis: M; 68yrs; Prime; 6 kids; farmer; 15yrs in coop: We are poor, we are talking about one hecter of land , one hecter of land is equal to one acre. If you propose a way to help us don’t you think that is a good thing? Well, some of us don’t have much if there could be a smalllll oportunity to help us with grooming that would be a good thing. We are left with both hands empty but if you get an orpotunity that would helpful. How could you work if you don’t have a machee or hoe, try to understand me?
I want to understand this process clearly, how many days you let the cocoa dries before taking it to the speculators?
#4.Nel Daphenis: M; 68yrs; Prime; 6 kids; farmer; 15yrs in coop: It can take up to 8 days to dry well. But if you are hungry after one day of drying you can sell it.If you don’t need the money to eat you let it dry for 8 days.
#8.Joseph Amose: M; 52yrs; Preparatwa 2; 4 kids; farmer; 20yrs in coop: That also depends on the weather because during the raining season the danre have a hard time to dry. For example, we’ve been having bad weather the whole week having the danre home not getting any sun changes the color. It is better for you to pick, break, and fermant; which means you spread it the ground and cover until all the water is out; when it’s sunny. Then you set it out to dry. After a week you can sell that cocoa.
Does the speculator pay you the same price if you take it to him next day after breaking as in waiting for it to dry for one week?
#4.Nel Daphenis: M; 68yrs; Prime; 6 kids; farmer; 15yrs in coop: Those are two different cases.If I take, if I take this, look at this .This is a clean sheet of paper compares to a dirty sheet paper they can’t be the same price. The clean one is more. The dirty one is less.
How much would you get for selling coffee that has been dried for 8 days?
#4.Nel Daphenis: M; 68yrs; Prime; 6 kids; farmer; 15yrs in coop: Those are two different cases. Some prices are not convenient for you. But if you bring it green there is a different price.
How much would a speculator pays for it today?
#4.Nel Daphenis: M; 68yrs; Prime; 6 kids; farmer; 15yrs in coop: Here in the Grand- Ans, both cocoa and coffee don’t have a fix price, whichever price they give ,you just take it. Now balancers are taking it 55[17] to 60[18] goudes either dried or green, dried is 60 goudes. You never know the real price for coffee.
How much is cocoa now when its well dried?
#4.Nel Daphenis: M; 68yrs; Prime; 6 kids; farmer; 15yrs in coop: The cocoa has the same price either well dried of half dried , they mix them together. The cooperative will only take it dried and well prepared.
Let’s talk about the cooperative system, I don’t know much about it. Can you tell about it works?
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: What is the cooperative? We bring ourselves together with the same ideas and the same objectives to emprove our lives. The cooperative is finance through a partner and it buys the cocoa from the farmers and sells it to that partner. If you had sold the pound of cocoa for 25 goudes[19]and you sold a total of 100 pounds for the year, the cooperative pays you for all. Then the cooperative would calculate how much it spent for that year. When that revenue comes, it takes out money for saving and money for prevalences. The rest of that revenue is divided among all members who had sold their cocoa to the cooperative. We call that a ristoun[20],it’s a prize of ancouragement. For three years it has not give us a ristoun ; it doesn’t buy from us because it doesn’t have a partner to finance it. When you sell to the speculator you don’t get a ristoun.The cooperative gives you the reristoun at end of the year, in December.
_Every December_
Do all members receive the same amount of ristoun?
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: No, that’s depend on how much you sell. If I sell 20 pounds I get a ristoun for 20 pounds and I sell 10 pounds I get for 10 pounds.
When you sell, do you know how much ristoun you will ge?
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: No, you don’t know. I told you that there other several fees the cooperative needs to cover from that revenue. It needs to pay the manger who bought the cocoa; take out some fund for prevalences and also for savings. That means in case of accident, if the manager gets in a accident or if the cooperative needs something some of the profit will be used for that. Now, after you cover all that the rest will be use to be divided among all the members.
Who divided that money?
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: The manager of cooporative does all the disturbution.
Is that process transparent, does all members are aware of how much the cooperative made and how much is been spending?
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: Yes there is a receipt for everything the cooperative buys and each member gets a receipt for what they sell. At the end of the harvest we have a meeting with the members to report how much was bought, how much was spent and how much was made. It’s not done with only a few members, all members are aware of everything.
What other type of services does the cooperative provided?
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: The cooperative provided many services. It is throught the cooperative that we have the grafting system for mango fransik[21]; that is why were able to plant so many and also regenerated. We had the Meda project, which came with the nursery system, provided us more trees to plant. That increased that volume of cocoa. Because they ended up leaving we didn’t get much farther. We want to continue with that work and hoping that cooperative will be able to help us.
Is there another thing that the cooperative does to help with the production?
#5.Florestal Hem: Gason; Rheto, pa gen timoun, elvaj, 1 ane nan kop: The cooperative teaches us how to better groomed the trees; how to do better seeding; how to take better care of the cocoa. It teaches us how pick the cocoa from the tree. Because there are some people who pick cocoa the wrong way that can peel the tree.Throught the cooperative we get other organizations that came here to teach us how to pick the cocoa , how not to cut the branches, how to treat another trees near the cocoa; how much sun and freshness the cocoa needs. With the cooperative we get better knowledge on how to care for the trees and with that we are go farther with the culture.
How do you plant a new cocoa tree?
#5.Florestal Hem: M; 28yrs Rheto; no kids; breeder; 1yr in coop: Now, you have the dirt that needs to be fertilize. You have dirt and sand. Then you need plastic bags to put them in. You need to prepare the pod. That pod needs to be taking from a tree that is not too tall and the branches the pod is taken from should not be small.The pod should not be green or have any sting on it. It needs to ripe. Now you break that pod, wash it and dry it with a clean clothe then you put in the plastic bag with the fertilizer in it.
Can you plant it anywhere?
#5.Florestal Hem: M; 28yrs Rheto; no kids; breeder; 1yr in coop; No, no. It needs to grow in that plastic bag first. It grows in that bag and you have a certain amount of time before you can start watering it. You water it and make sure it does not have any worms. Make sure it does have have worms, dirt or another tree growing along with it. After all that, the cocoa is old enough to be planted. You have to make sure you don’t plant it where animals are tied such as pigs. You plant the tree on land that has been mown which will cause the cocoa to grown into a danrezon.[22]
This morning I visited a farm and saw that someone planted a cocoa tree near a bannana tree, why is that?
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: The reason that cocoa is planted along with another tree on an empty land is because during the dry season that tree shades it until its strong enough. The banana leaves when they are green provide shade and freshness, a temporary home.
We talk about all the benifits to be a member in the cooperative, can anyone become a member?
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: According to the rules of the cooperative not everyon can be a member.If you are a trou nan manch[23]you cannot be a member. If you are not honest you can’t be a member. If you don’t have time you can’t be a member because you might be going somewhere and all of sudden they ask you to come because there is a problem. You cannot refuse to come. If you are a thief or a liar you can’t be a member because the cooperative can’t trust you.
Is there any other condition that might prevent you from becoming a member, do you have to pay a fee?
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: To become a member you took trainings, you register and there is a fee you have to pay. Everyone is equal. After training you get the rules and regulations and the status. If you agree with the all the rules and status you become a member. To be a member in the cooperative, you need to have the same obejectives,the same right and the same responsibility.
Is there someone who decided who should register as member?
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: According to the cooperative‘s law you can come whenever you want and leave whenever you want.
Is the community decided who will be a member or does everyone voted for that.
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: If someone wants to become a member they can register through the general assembly. The general assembly would question him on his role as a member. Now if there is someone in neighborhood or in the community who knows he has a bad repution and that person denounces him, he can’t be a member.
#13.Cenatus Br.Precinord: F; 50yrs; 5em sekonde; 2 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop: Well there is a status that will be read and written out to you at the very beginning . Everything that is in it will be read to you and if you agree you become a member, if you can’t follow all the rules you said cannot become a member.
You have to accept all the regulations.
I see here that we have more women then men, are many women in the cooperative?
Several in the audience (M, F): Yes, there are many
#9.Asord Sulface St. Louis: F; 72yrs; Prime; 3 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop: Yes there are but.._respondant is talking low and the audience is being noisy_
Why don’t we have younger women at the cooperative?
#9.Asord Sulface St. Louis: F; 72yrs; Prime; 3 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop: Some people only like food that is already cooked; they don’t like working hard to cooking there own meal. They want a cooked meal, if they hear that the cooperative have hummmmm money now, they will run to be a member because they know all that money will be divided among all members even if they didn’t do any hard work. Now they see there is no money for separation to be made, they all left.The people who would have hold the cooperative together had died.
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: One reason that many youth are not intrested in the cooperative because they had to leave the commune for Port au Prince to go to school. Coming from a poor family they had to look for a better life. If some of the activities from the cooperative were working even not in the best way and they were able to make some kind of income, they could have stay and become members. There is not encouragement right now. The danre doesn’t have a good price. If it did there would have some oppurnities. Now there is this issue with the cooperative and the speculators. When the cooperative is able get some finance throught a partner it pays 50 gourdes for the cocoa, it needs to be dry for 8 days. When you go outside to a speculator they will pay the same price for a cocoa that has been dried for 2 or 3 days. They will sell it to the speculators because they do less work and get the same price. That lowers the standard of the cooperative. We would like for that to change. We want a better price to encourage the members and the farmers.When that happen the younger people would be more envolve.Some could have been more involve, there parents died and left land for them because they don’t see any activities going on , they had to leave.
Is it easier for young man who is in the cocoa production to become a member then a young woman because the women….? _ Respondant started talking_
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: Yes there are younger women who are intrested. Yes, in Dame Marie ; with Madam Patrick in Abrico. The young ladies in Abrico are being active. In Dame Marie they are in the cocoa transformation. That is something that worries me , it has been over a year since I’ve been to Dame Marie and seeing over there how active the younger ones are , I want the same thing here. I would like for the cooperative to be on its feet to help the young women and young men envolving in the cocoa transformation. When their parents don’t have anything to give them they could buy a pound of cocoa and transform into chocolate to make some money.
Do both men and women receive the same benefit from the cooperative; do they have the same rights?
#12.Fouland Rene: M; 45yrs; 8em sekonde; 10 kids; farmer; 1yr in coop: Yes, yes. All members are equal. The more cocoa you give the more bonus you will receive; if you give less you receive less. You understand, if the cooperative has more money more people would come. Our only competitors are speculators but if the cooperative had money more people would come here to sell their cocoa.
#9.Asord Sulface St. Louis: F; 72yrs ; Prime; 3 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop: With speculators when you sell them that’s it; but when you sell in the cooperative you get your payment and later receive a ristoun._Car is passing by_ Speculators don’t have money to give a ristoun, you sell them because you want to. Th speculators will take the cocoa from you after 2 days of drying it’s like they are in a compition with the cooperative. The cooperative will not take it after 2 days of sun; it has to be 4 or five days. We are losing.
#8.Joseph Amose: M; 52yrs; Preparatwa 2; 4 kids; farmer; 20yrs in coop: Things are different , the reason we see that is you break the cocoa and dry it the speculator will take from even if it’s dirty_ Laughing_ with all its dirt he will take it as long as it is dry. The cooperative will only take clean cocoa from you and it needs to be dry. It will not take it in bad conditions. The voltije are exactly like the speculator. They are the majority and they always find cocoa. They sometimes pay the same price as the cooperative. 2 suns, 3 suns well you give it to them.
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: Well, eummm I remember in 92 ,90,92 you see this big room , there was not enough space to put cocoa. They used to call us to come and take the cocoa away; now we can’t even make 10 sacks per year because the price to so bad. If as a cooperative we had a fixed and better price, the speculator would be selling to the cooperative to increase the amount.
Did the cooperative buy any cocoa last year?
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: Yes.
Now there some problems and changes that need to be made, but last year how much did you make in ristoun?
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: Well, it was me who was buying cocoa there was no ristoun.We did have sevral trainings here and whatever was sold was spend on that. There was a time that the cocoa stayed on the ground for 2 or 3 months we could not sell it. It couldn’t do what is supposed to do. As a member there was no way for me to get pay, I had to accept not to get pay. You see, the treasurer is over there, I didn’t even ask him for money. The cocoa turned into peanuts on the ground if we had a partner who had signed a contract with us that partner would have come to get the cocoa from us.
#8.Joseph Amose: M; 52yrs; Preparatwa 2; 4 kids; farmer; 20yrs in coop: We have another problem , the cocoa has been producing less lately. Now a day, it decreasing likes some type of epidemic. Now with the bird issue, the moment its producing fruits the woodpeckers and rats eat the fruits. When it’s time for harvest, the harvest is less. We don’t know what to do for that epidemic, for those animals .For me that is our biggest problem we facing in the danres.
What would like in the upcpmong project to satisfy you, to help you in the production?
#5.Florestal Hem: Gason; Rheto, pa gen timoun, elvaj, 1 ane nan kop: I want grooming to be done. _ Silence_ Meaning to cut off all the bad branches. We want a new regeneration. Some of the trees are too tall, we want to cut them and planted new ones._ Silence_ they are too tall.Well, we would like as members things to be better for us. Not only us members but also the other farmers.They are future members of cooperative. People are asking for more seeds, we want to plant more trees, a new regeneration. We need help to do all those things; the cooperative doesn’t have the means to do it on its own. With that we will have a better a better cooperatives because we will have more reaources._Chair is moving_. Ok
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: On what that mister said, what I would like; we would like after the regeneration to be able to use those trees. The can be use for grafting; cut out all the old branches from the trees and graft them to produce new stems. We want training_emphasizes on training_ for the farmers. Educate them because some of those planters are not well educated. Cocoa is a danre that needs around 80% of sun I believe, some farmers refuse to cut out trees that is decreasing the volume of production. If the planters get train on where a tree needs to be planted to give shade or better shade to the danre_ talking loud_ the production will increases.
Are all the cooperative’s member always satisfied because they know they will receive all the infomation for everything that is going on?
Sevral in the audience(M,F): Yes, yes
How do you get informations?
#10.Charles Maissance: M; 60yrs; None; 9 kids; farmer; 24yrs in coop: Well, we have meeting and all the members would come; we get trainings on how to produce more cocoa, how to dry cocoa , and how to prepare it for the cooperative. That is how we get trainings.
#8.Joseph Amose: M; 52yrs; Preparatwa 2; 4 kids; farmer; 20yrs in coop: For me if we have a replanting system because many of our producers are facing many problems. Some of danre had died and we need to replace them. We want to replace what we had lost .If someone can come to help with replanting with a nursery I think that would be best.
Would someone else like to add more?
#12.Fouland Rene: M; 45yrs; 8em sekonde; 10 kids; farmer; 1yr in coop: For us to plant more, for us to get more trees to plant_ talking very low, can’t hear what’s been said_to give us more encouragement; then we will have a greater quantity ; if we had less we will have more. We want more trees to plant to replace those that died. We want to have more cocoa to give better result.
Does cooperative have a nursery?
Partisipant (M): Yes it used to, but…._talking very low_.
We talked abou all the difficulties you faced as a cocoa producer, what dreams you have for your children? Would you want them to get envolve in the production or do you want something else for them?
#11.Castilan Estavil: Gason; 7em sekonde; 4 tiomoun; kiltivate;1 ane nan kop: There are sevral eummmm children who works in the production too. I want the cooperative to give us a heritage to leave behind. Some children go to school to learn but there some who can’t learn. I would like to leave a dream my child. I want that child to say “My father left this for me, I have more advantages and I like what my father did’’. That’s why we want to work in the cooperative to leave footprints for them, to encourage them._ A lot noise can be heard.
Would someone like to add something more?
#13.Cenatus Br.Precinord: F; 50yrs; 5em sekonde; 2 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop: As for me_a phone is ringing _ I have a son, I make him attends meetings so he can hear and learn. I want him to know if I die tomorrow he has a place in the cooperative. That is my decision.
Why do you want that?
#13.Cenatus Br.Precinord: F; 50yrs; 5em sekonde; 2 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop: Why do I want that, because there is an advantage in cooperative for me. After you selling you get your money and when you don’t expect it during the Holidays at a time when you needed some oil, some meat and some rice, you get some more money and you are able to buy things you needed. No one will give you that money. That’s why I won’t ignore it.
Is there a difference between what you want for your sons and what you want for your daughters?
#13.Cenatus Br.Precinord: F; 50yrs; 5em sekonde; 2 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop: For us? Well, we want someone to come and meet with us, teach us things, train us and give us informations.
Do you want the same thing for both your sons and daughters?
#9.Asord Sulface St. Louis: F; 72yrs ; Prime; 3 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop: a day there no male or female, everything a man can do a woman can do it too. Now we see women designing houses; everything a man can do a woman can do it too. We have women who are engineers, women are doing everything now. In the past there were men and women, now women are presidents, ministers, senators, deputies and many other things. So, I don’t see any difference between men and women.
Is there a difference between women living in countryside and those living in town?
#9.Asord Sulface St. Louis: F; 72yrs ; Prime; 3 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop: No, if if the woman have comprehension and an education I don’t see any differences.
Is having an eduction or not having an eduction the difference?
#9.Asord Sulface St. Louis: F; 72yrs ; Prime; 3 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop: Yes, that it.
Would someone like to add something else, something we have not talk about that is important?
#9.Asord Sulface St. Louis: F; 72yrs ; Prime; 3 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop: Well, what I would to add is that the cooperative has been weak, the weakness has to do with us a members becuase were not very active. Now, if we can find someone to help and guide us we would not have the problem of men and women anymore. Looking around here you would see several young women who had some type of trade but they are sitting here doing nothing and can’t go anywhere else. If the cooperative have an activity these young women could come here. A lot of people died the wrong way, they died while looking for a better life. If we have something here that is bringing resources in the community I don’t believe they will go to a different community. That is what we want because there things we don’t know how to do. They can come here and teach us. Some young men around here had said that Madam Patrick and the people of Abrico don’t know anything but these people had become masters in what they know even if they don’t know how to read. They are masters in what they know. Someone might ask you sow dress for her, make a sheet or if you know embroidery ask you to make something, bake a cake, or be a wedding planner all of that are good things if you learn how to do them. Those things are important we would like for the cooperative to help us with getting this things in the community.People are never too old to learn new things. We got together and created the cooperative and things were running well but now it has failed. If we can get another organization to embrace us that would make us very happy; it can help us to get what we don’t have.
#8.Joseph Amose: M; 52yrs; Preparatwa 2; 4 kids; farmer; 20yrs in coop: We farmers are poor and we are looking to go forward not to go backward. We who are in the cocoa production several years ago when cocoa was selling our partner would always give us a receipts when he buy from us and count how much cocoa we sell; when the time comes each one of us would get a ristoun. During the Holiday season we would always get some money. That ristoun is like check for us. A few years had passed and we did not get that ristoun. Now if we can get a boss who would help us farmers; who would buy from us and sell for us we would see that as a great thing. That would be a great opportunity for us. We have children in school; we don’t have animals; and we don’t have anything else besides the cocoa. The cocoa is our only resource. It is our life. If we can get a partner who will buy from us and sell for us and give us what we deserve that would be very helpful. We have children in school and that is expensive. The children are in school we don’t know what to do with them. So you are the one who can find a way to help us. Things are difficult we don’t where to go.
#11.Castilan Estavil: M; 35yrs; 7em sekonde; 4 kids; farmer; 1yr in coop: What I see in the production, if the younger people do not see a good example they will not get involve in the production. Because in far isolated place in the countryside, when you look in here can only see 1 or 2 young members, young people don’t work any more we are the one that is holding things together because there is nothing in the countryside. When a young person is finish with his education and can’t find anything to do in the countryside he will have to leave and move to the city. If you need one or you need someone with enough knowledge to do something for you, you will have to go to Port au Prince to find one. You will not find one here because there is nothing for him to do here._Patisipant is talking very low_ If we don’t take charge or change things to get things better, all the production we have here will disappear. They will be in the same situation we are in right now, we didn’t get anything they won’t get anything too. We are working the land but land is not producing. If there is a way, I would ask those who are with us to help us get work so we can push some of our young people in order for this town not to be completely vanish.
#15.Domenncer Frantz: M; 27yrs; University; 2 kids; agronomist; 1yr in coop: We really want to thank CRS who is financing this project. That is a very good decision. What we would like after the regeneration of cocoa is completed is to find a market where the price for a pound of cocoa is reasonable. Cocoa is selling for 20 gourdes per pound and life from time to time is becoming more expensive. We want a better market when that happens we would take better care of cocoa. More people would be interested in planting cocoa, more young men and young women will be involve in the production. We would give a better cocoa on the international market.
. If you don’t have anything else to say, i won’t make let you suffer more. Thank you for all the information you had provided, all will help us give a great report to CRS.
#12.Fouland Rene: M; 45yrs; 8em sekonde; 10 kids; farmer; 1yr in coop: What I would like is to get your phone number.Just like you took our numbers we would like to have yours as well, because sometimes we might have a problem regarding cocoa we would like to contact you and meet with you to discuss it.
Well, I can give you my number, we are a group of surveyers we not in charge of the coming project. We are doing the survey to help those who are in charge of the project to better understand the situation and to better understand you in order for them to better help you. Everything you have said in this meeting regarding cocoa will be giving to them; I can give you my mumber that will not be a problem.
#12.Fouland Rene: M; 45yrs; 8em sekonde; 10 kids; farmer; 1yr in coop: Yeah, we were talking about the younger people on how to support them,get them envolve in helping the members, and to encourage them to become members in the cooperative. When you look at the cooperative if it provides job they would make a living. If cooperative could have a branch that is associate with them, that would be more incouraging. The younger one don’t see anything working, instead of staying here not doing anything they moved to Port au Prince. If there were any activities in community they would not had moved to Port au Prince. They would find a way to organize themselves. We here are farmers, we are working the land; that kind of work doesn’t give any result. We work; we planted a lot; but we harvest less. There is no life. If you could do something for us we would be happy.
#14.Rosier Jn. Baptiste Fenel: M; 58yrs; 7em sekonde; 8 kids ; vet ; 30yrs in coop: What I would like to say to CRS is thank you. We will continue to say thank you. Depending on the project that is coming if it works, we would like for CRS to become a partner also a helper. If CRS is a project that is passing through, I want to take whatever they will give us, for tomorrow when they leave the cooperative is not trouble. I want to say that again, I want CRS to help us find a market for our merchandise.
#10.Charles Maissance: M; 60yrs; None; 9 kids; farmer; 24yrs in coop: The last question I would like to add has to do with rats and birds who wasting the cocoa, if we could get something from them to kill the rats in the danre , find a solution with the woodpeckers and also the ants. We need to find a solution if we don’t we will only be known as farmers with the danre but we will never get the harvest.
#15.Domenncer Frantz: M; 27yrs; University; 2 kids; agronomist; 1yr in coop:In the project there should have a campaign on deratisation
True ?
#15.Domenncer Frantz: M; 27yrs; University; 2 kids; agronomist; 1yr in coop:Yes, a campaign of deratisation it important along with trainings
#8.Joseph Amose: M; 52yrs; Preparatwa 2; 4 kids; farmer; 20yrs in coop: Yes , to support what that citizen said, man, I would be happy if we could have a survey on the rats and woodpeckers issue. I can tell you that I have a danre I used to get aroud 12 pods from it now I look under the tree there are 2,3,4 pods on the ground. I only find them on the ground.
#15.Domenncer Frantz: M; 27yrs; University; 2 kids; agronomist; 1yr in coop: Within the project there should be a deratisation campaign.Because cocoa grows very close together it has a lot of shade, ther rats live in them. Its like they eat the cocoa night and day.They don’t know when it’s day light or when it’s dark but if clean and groom it and do sanitation work they won’t find a place to hide they will decrease. That is already in the the project.
#9.Asord Sulface St. Louis: F; 72yrs ; Prime; 3 kids; farmer; 30yrs in coop: As for me ,I already like this project.
#8.Joseph Amose: M; 52yrs; Preparatwa 2; 4 kids; farmer; 20yrs in coop: Well, I would like to say thank for the time we pass together because I was in street and was not aware of the meeting. I was passing through when I saw Brother Daniel and he told there is a meeting going on right now and I came to participate with you. I want to say thank you for this moment we had together where we sat down and talked. I am hoping this will continue. Seminars and meetings are very good.
One more time I want to thank all of you for all the information you had provided and we hoping we will continue to communicate to really understand the situation, all the problems and all the good things in the production.
Several in the audience (M.F): Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you very much.
_They applaud_
#8.Joseph Amose: M; 52yrs; Preparatwa 2; 4 kids; farmer; 20yrs in coop: Yes, you said you can give us your number, I don’t know if i can get it now from you.
I need to look at my phone for that number, I don’t live in Haiti.
Patisipant (M): Yes, CRS is in partnership CAUD, I don’t know if the project they have will start now. With my experiences as a cocoa planter, we have two cocoa harvest here_Several in the audience are talking_ which means big harvest and the little harvest. Each cocoa has a season to be groomed because when they are in the stages of maturity, in full , or blooming you cannot groom them. For the foreign cocoa the grooming should be doing right now November and December. In January, Febuary, and March it’s blooming and you cannot groom it. That is cocoa you will harvest in Febuary, March, January, Febuary. November and December you can start grooming, grooming them make the stronger.
After harvesting do you that’s when you do the cleaning
Partisipant continued (M): Do the pruning
If you have an acre how many workers would you need in a kove?
Partisipant continued (M): That depends because not are farmers work the same way. If you have 1 acre of cocoa at least you need an esquad of 20 people maybe you might finish in 1 or 2 weeks if they know who to throw a machetee. Depending the type of weed it has, if it has good weed like vines it will take 11/2 or 2 weeks to clean it.
Do you do that once a year?
Partisipant continued (M): That is the problem we are having here. Cocoa is supposed to be harvest twice a year but because of our economic problem we harvest only once. Well, that is the problem. Cocoa should be harvest 2 times a year because of our economic problem we do 1 time a year. By that time the cocoa is already reforested. According to the law of cocoa it should be done 2 times a year, every 6 months; but it’s not done like that.
#15.Domenncer Frantz: M; 27yrs; University; 2 kids; agronomist; 1yr in coop:We will start working this month, we have November, December, and January.
Thank you very much.
Audience(M,F). Thank you, thank you, and thank you.
