Once the cocoa is dry enough, I call the section delegate of the cooperative 8 who brings me the bags needed to pack the cocoa and takes them to the warehouse. At the warehouse, the delegate weighs the cocoa and pays me in cash or gives me a promissory note, if the payment will be made later. There are a lot of advantages to being a member of the cooperative, for example, access to premiums, loans, chemicals and fertilisers which you wouldn’t have if you weren’t a member. Thanks to my membership with the cooperative, I was able to build my house and equip it with electricity, light and a TV. The villagers come to watch TV in my yard. It makes me feel very proud and committed to work with ECOJAD. The biggest challenge remains the consignment system 9 : sometimes we have to wait a long time before getting paid for the cocoa we sell to the cooperative. I’ve been waiting for payment for 9 full bags of cocoa for more than 2 months. 8. The delegate of a cooperative is responsible for weighing the cocoa and handling the payment. 9. A consignment sale of beans means that the farmer does not get paid in cash immediately, but has to wait until the beans are sold onwards before receiving payment.
15
Photos by: Nuits Balnéaires
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker