Agribusiness
How to Start a Cocoa Plantation in São Tomé and Príncipe: A Practical Guide for Investors
It takes 2–2.5 years from planting a seedling to the first flowers, and a tree then produces at full capacity for about 15 years. São Tomé is one of the few places where aromatic heirloom cocoa still grows and a national research centre, CIAT, runs its own nurseries. Here is how to secure land, what to plant, how to look after it and how to bring the beans up to export quality.
Figures in this article are based on data from CIAT, the national agronomic research centre (2024).
Land and soil
How a foreigner can get land. Under the Land Law (Lei 3/91), a foreigner without an investment project may hold one plot of no more than 2 ha. A plantation needs an approved investment project, which then defines the area. The law allows sale, aforamento (long lease), concession, lease and surface rights, but in practice state farmland is most often granted as a concession. The alternatives are leasing from a private owner or a contract with a cooperative.
| Parameter | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Soil acidity | pH 6.0–7.0 |
| Fertile layer depth | more than 1 m |
| Texture | sandy clay |
| Nutrients | phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, nitrogen |
| Rainfall | 2,000–2,500 mm a year, evenly spread |
| Avoid | waterlogged sites |
CIAT has a suitability map for cocoa — check your plot against it before signing.
Varieties and seedlings
| Group | Examples | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Heirloom clones | Amelonado (Criollo type), Cantongo, DHS30, DHS26, IMC67, IMC76, PA150, ICS1, ICS8, SST120–123 | Well adapted, produce aromatic cocoa |
| CIAT hybrids | CIAT 1–5, 11, 12, 14 and others | Higher yields, but less resistant to pests and diseases; lower bean quality |
Choosing a variety means choosing a strategy: heirloom clones for the premium segment (fine flavour, single origin), hybrids for volume.
Seedlings can be raised on site or bought from CIAT and CECAB cooperative nurseries for about 18 dobras each. They are grown for 3–6 months in bags 15 cm wide and 35 cm long and matched to the plot’s agro-ecological zone.
Planting and care
Planting. Plant at the start of the rainy season. Dig a 40×40×40 cm hole, set the top 20 cm of fertile soil aside and put cocoa husks with bio-fertiliser at the bottom. First flowers appear after 2–2.5 years; a pod ripens in 90–120 days.
| Spacing between trees | Trees per hectare |
|---|---|
| 3 m (standard) | 1,111 |
| 2.5 m (intensive) | 1,600 |
Fertilisers. Organic ones are used: manure, poultry litter, compost and cocoa husks. Bio-fertilisers cost about €2 per kg. This is also the basis for organic certification.
Diseases and pests.
- Witches’ broom and black pod. Control with regular inspection and 1–3% Bordeaux mixture (Calda Bordalesa), about €4 per kg.
- Rats. Poison is banned; traps and plastic trunk guards are used. There are noticeably fewer rats on São Tomé than on Príncipe.
- Excess moisture during fruit set reduces yields, so the ground under the trees is weeded regularly.
Pruning and renewal. Formative, annual maintenance and continuous preventive pruning are needed. A tree’s productive life is about 15 years, so up to 20% of trees are renewed each year; old plantations can be rejuvenated by grafting.
From pod to sack
The main harvests are April–June and September–November. Chocolate aroma develops during fermentation, not on the tree, so the price of your cocoa is decided in processing.
- Harvest. Ripe pods are cut and opened, and the pulp with beans is removed. A pick-up carries about 1 t of pulp, a tractor about 2 t.
- Fermentation, 5–7 days. Wooden boxes made of odourless timber, at least two compartments, 6–10 mm drainage holes every 15 cm. First turning after 48 hours, then every 24 hours. Five days are enough in the dry season, 6–7 in the rainy season.
- Drying, 1–2 weeks. Wooden solar dryers of 30×4 m under plastic sheeting. The target is 7–8% moisture. One dryer handles about 1 t of dry cocoa a week, roughly 26 t over the two seasons. It lasts 3–10 years and is built next to the plantation.
- Storage. In raffia sacks in a dry warehouse. Then comes CIAT inspection and export — see our export guide.
Yields, staff, equipment
| Scenario | Dry beans, t/ha per year |
|---|---|
| National average (mostly neglected plantations) | 0.1–0.2 |
| Traditional plantation with care | 0.4–0.8 |
| Full care, 1,111 trees/ha (about 1 kg per tree) | about 1.1 |
| CIAT hybrids, according to the centre | up to 3 |
Staff. One worker looks after 1.5–2.5 ha. Harvesting mature trees takes up to 3 people per hectare.
Equipment. Plantation work is manual: machete, hook, secateurs, saw, sprayer, brush cutter, chainsaw. Vehicles are needed only for harvest and transport. Pick-ups are sold by the official Toyota dealer on the island; tractors must be imported — duty-free if the project is registered under the Investment Code.
Incentives
A plantation of €50,000 or more registered under the Investment Code gets a 50% cut in corporate income tax for 7 years and 25% for 2 more, duty-free equipment imports and double-rate depreciation. Special development zones (Cantagalo, Lembá, Lobata, Caué, Príncipe) offer more. Details in our tax guide.
Risks
- Slow start. The first harvest comes after 2–3 years. It is faster to take over an old plantation and rejuvenate it by grafting.
- Diseases. Without timely Bordeaux mixture and pruning, part of the crop is lost.
- Logistics. Pulp must reach fermentation on the day of harvest — build boxes and dryers next to the plot.
- EUDR. To sell into the EU, record plot geolocation from day one and be able to prove the planting did not replace forest.
- Land. Check title and boundaries before investing: old plantations have been divided among smallholders and the families of former workers.
About the author
Euclides Martins is the CEO of MARSF Serviços, with more than 13 years of experience in São Tomé and Príncipe. He previously served as Lead Communications Specialist at the national implementation unit of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (Quadro Integrado Reforçado, the WTO-linked Aid for Trade programme), where he was also responsible for liaison with the Government of São Tomé and Príncipe.
Let’s discuss your project
MARSF finds a suitable plot together with CIAT, arranges the concession and investment project, hires an agronomist and staff, and helps you sell your first harvest.
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