Pre-Feasibility Study – Cocoa Bean Solar Drying Facilities

This community management model aims to result in quality and consistency gains, which should result in a premium being paid for beans of a higher quality, as well as a reduction in post-harvest loss of wet beans that are transported to other provinces. The facilities are anticipated to be developed on farms in cocoa producing regions such as Maluu in the north, Gwaido in the central region, and Atoifi in the east. However, exact facility locations and number of solar dryers to be installed must be confirmed at the next stage of project development. This must involve active consultation with cocoa farmers in producing regions to understand demand and solar dryer requirements in each location. Annual exports of cocoa beans from the Solomon Islands totaled 3,459 tons in 2020 with a value of $ per ton. The quality of the beans and the price they obtain internationally depends on the drying method. Wet beans extracted from the pod are fermented at the farm and then dried using fuel-fired hot air "kukum" dryers. These are not environmentally or climate friendly, and they produce variable qualities of beans. The proposed project is intended to respond to identified causes and consequences of a market problem through strategic interventions that are intended to realize desired benefits. This requires careful assessment of the strategic context in which the project is planned and will be operationalized. The primary objective of the Cocoa Bean Solar Drying Facility is to generate value for farming communities through value addition in the form of solar drying. This is intended to improve the quality and consistency of cocoa beans, while reducing post-harvest loss associated with the transport of wet beans. The project's conceptual architecture is presented in Figure 1, which illustrates the proposed project's components and relationships. The project's technical factors, economic dynamics, commercial options, financial projections, and management requirements are analyzed in subsequent sections. The project's strategic context, drivers of change, and objective and impact are also discussed in detail. The proposed project is expected to create more energy-efficient drying techniques and produce better quality cocoa. Dried cocoa beans are an intermediate product in the manufacture of chocolate and other cocoa-based products. Despite an abundance of cocoa in Malaita Province, many farmers lack appropriate drying equipment, an important first step in value-added cocoa production and processing.