LibSwe Cocoa Inc. launches first nursery – day 2 and 3

27 February, 2011 • Viktor Bengtsson • 2 minutes to read

(Post from old blog.)

While I was sipping a cold drink and having a meeting on a new business plan in Monrovia, Joe and William continued to sweat in Sanoyie. The following photos are taken with Joe's mobile phone so they lack somewhat in quality.

During the second day everyone was back from the market and Joe had a lot more people (40+) working. The largest part of the workforce focused on moving soil and filling the poly bags.

The work to fill 3000 bags is considerable and is enough to establish a plantation of about 2 hectares (5 acres). However, up in Lofa the first major cocoa plantation in Liberia has established a nursery that will produce enough seedlings for 300 hectares in the same way that we do. That means roughly 400,000 bags and a huge bamboo & thatch shade roof. I haven't visited it yet but will do so on my next trip up to Foya.

This shade will be reinforced and maintained for 3-4 months while the cocoa seeds germinate (7-10 days) and grow. In the last few weeks before moving the cocoa seedlings to the field, the shade will be reduced to harden the plants.

The man on the right is holding an open cocoa pod and planting the seeds one in each bag. Now all that remains is to water, weed, combat pests, hope that we chose good soil and seeds, and that most (at least 75%) of the seeds germinate successfully.