Cacao Continued

A hen protects the seeds germinating below

I got to visit the CEIBO plant with David and others in Sapecho on Thursday.  It smelled better than anything industrial I have ever smelled except perhaps the Malto-meal factory when the winds would blow from the south toward Carleton.  What smelled so good was the fermenting and drying cacao beans—like a slightly sour chocolate, very hard to describe really and probably not worth it.   This was actually the last and most visible step of the cacao preparation process.  It was quite a processing plant.    All of the cacao that CEIBO produces—over 6million dollars in sales (which makes it the largest producer in Bolivia) passes through this plant's warehouse—most of it gets fermented and dried here as well.  But that is only the base of the pyramid that has by now grown to mammoth proportions.  CEIBO runs a seed bank, plant nursery and research area, as well as an actual lending bank all for the benefit of it's many members.

Moniliasis--the epidemic destroying cacao harvests

The seed bank and nursery are run by Bambi, Ana Maria's daughter, who is an agro-forestry expert.  They not only keep and produce cacao plants, but also many varieties of fruiting and lumber tree species that can co-exist with cacao production.  Saturday I was able to work in the nursery seeding new cacao plants of which they have tens of thousands, and got to see how these funny plants get their start. 

A recently sprouted cacao plant.  That seed stays attached for a while

Over this time I have also learned a good deal about the economics of agricultural production in the Alto Beni and Caranavi, in general.  From a broad perspective, most plots of land are about 10 hectares, which is fairly large.  If planted with cacao, this usually does not make up more than 50% of the land.  In fact, cacao is less profitable than papaya for instance, and has around the same margin currently as coffee—and with labor prices high here, a land owner makes a small margin indeed on any agricultural product.  That coupled with the fact that cacao and coffee are single-season crops, has led to increased desire for diversification.  Economics however are not the only thing pushing cacao producers toward other crops, Moniliasis, or Monilia as it is known widely has infected the area.  This plague can wipe out entire crops, greatly reducing the productivity of a region.  But Monilia is like almost no human plague—no medicine exists, organic or conventional, to control it.  Varieties that are resistant are either of lower quality (CC51) or produce little (though delicious) fruit (Creole).  And planting new cacao means waiting between 4 and 6 years before producing—feeding the inertia of any agricultural system.  It is a problem that at meetings with local cooperatives I heard voiced forcefully and repeatedly.  It is a conundrum. 

There were thousands of plants.

Meanwhile, back in Caranavi I await a organics fair known as Bio Caranavi where Diane (of Artesania Sorata) is presenting a water turbine for use on small farms in the area.  Yumm I can smell the fried chicken even from my hostel window.  At least lodging is cheap.