News

February 2013
Conducted feasibility assessment on community fermentation business for women farmer group in Pinrang District
AMARTA II is evaluating business models for community-based fermentation. Preliminary market studies have shown a large variability of fermentation practices and results. The project is working with partner companies to standardize the fermentation practice, and make it cost effective and practical for village farmer groups and women groups to implement. Community fermentation will be piloted in Pinrang during the upcoming main crop season (April-June 2013).

January 2013: Under a program of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Bank Tabunan Pension Nasional (BTPN), AMARTA II is helping cocoa farmers access financing for inputs designed to improve farm productivity. AMARTA II field facilitators performed field assessments, or "crop checks", for 4,394 farmers to verify the conditions of their farms and evaluate management practices. AMARTA II staff then facilitated meetings between the farmers and BTPN, which is expanding its microfinance activities to include the agricultural sector with IFC’s assistance. As a result, 360 farmers have been approved for $240,000 of new financing for inputs.

February 2009: Indonesia Program Hosts Close-out Workshop
From November 17-20, 2008, ACDI/VOCA held a close-out workshop for five of its beneficiary business service providers (BSPs) in Makassar, Indonesia. During the workshop the service providers shared results and lessons learned from implementing their 2008-2009 business plans and incorporated those findings when adapting their business plans for the coming year. The USDA-funded Indonesia project began project close down in December 2008.

January 2008: SUCCESS Alliance Works on Technology Transfer to Farmers
SUCCESS Alliance is developing composting businesses and assisting in the technology transfer to farmers of agriculture machinery to chop cocoa pods for compost. The program is providing technical assistance to business service providers that serve the smallholder cocoa sector.

July 2007: Indonesia Update
Staff from CocoaPhil and ACDI/VOCA completed a five-day study tour of the cocoa sector in Sulawesi, Indonesia. The tour, which was organized by MARS Inc., provided an overview of problems and progress with cocoa development in Indonesia.