Announcement of the 2nd Edition of the National Cocoa Awards Competition

Announcement of the 2nd Edition of the National Cocoa Awards Competition

August 25, 2020:- At a ceremonial announcement held on Friday 21^st August, 2020 at the Cocoa Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited, Chaguanas, lead prize sponsor National Flour Mills Limited presented a cheque for $25,000 to the Chairman of the National Organising Committee, for the 2^nd edition of the National Cocoa Awards Competition.

National Flour Mills Limited previously sponsored the coveted top prize of the 2019 Inaugural edition of the National Cocoa Awards Competition, which was a trip to Paris, France to participate in the International Cocoa Awards Ceremony at the Salon du Chocolat. Mr. Leroy Peters, Grande Riviere cocoa farmer, was the first-prize winner of the 2019 Inaugural edition.

Mr. Kelvin Mahabir, Chief Executive Officer of the National Flour Mills presented the prize sponsorship cheque to Mr. Leon Granger, Chief Executive Officer of the Cocoa Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited, who is also the Chairman of the National Organising Committee for the competition. The National Organizing Committee members include representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries; Export Trinidad and Tobago Limited (ExporTT); and Cocoa Research Centre of the University of the West Indies (CRC, UWI).

At the cheque presentation ceremony, the Cocoa Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Leon Granger remarked that “the National Cocoa Awards creates a real sense of pride in our premium cocoa legacy.” He added “participation in the competition raises the profile of local cocoa producers, giving them access to better prices from local manufacturers and export markets.” The National Cocoa Awards Competition was started as a mechanism to empower farmers and recognize the diverse flavours of the Trinitario cocoa variety, born in Trinidad and Tobago.

Chief Executive Officer of the National Flour Mills Limited, Mr. Kelvin Mahabir spoke of that company’s continued prize sponsorship of the National Cocoa Awards Competition, saying “as a company, we are keen on agricultural diversification and believe our world- beating cocoa is an excellent lead into this arena.”

The 2019 top prize winner and one of the top four winners of the Inaugural National Cocoa Awards Competition, went on to gain international acclaim for Trinidad and Tobago, at the October 2019 International Cocoa Awards in Paris, France. The husband and wife cocoa farming pairs of Mr. Leroy and Geeta Peters of Grande Riviere, and Mr. Martin and Jacqueline Matthew of Mundo Nuevo, Talparo, topped global competitors to win International Cocoa Awards for the Central America and Caribbean grouping.

All cocoa farmers and processors of Trinidad and Tobago are invited to participate in the 2020 National Cocoa Awards Competition. Submissions of 10kg of dried cocoa beans can be made to the Cocoa Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago’s office, located at #16 Mulchan Seuchan Road, Chaguanas. The deadline for submission of entries to the National Cocoa Awards Competition is November 30^th, 2020.