Three senior officers from the Department of Agriculture and Livestock are in Wewak to oversee activities of the Angoram Cocoa Coconut project (ACCP).
The officers include Momase regional director for provincial and industry support services Masayan Moat, DAL chief accountant James Hol and Boto Gaupu, an officer attached to the National Agriculture Development Plan (NADP).
During a trip to Angoram last Monday, Mr Gaupu told farmers that the Papua New Guinea Government through the NADP had allocated K2.5 million to ACCP but must first have “on the ground” report on the activities of the ACCP before funds were released.
Under NADP, the Government will allocate K100 million each year to agriculture and livestock development in the country over the next five years.
This year the government advanced K40 million from the K1.6 billion supplementary budget last November.
This week’s trip confirmed that the river lifestyle of the Angoram people had changed due to the impact of a new cocoa culture.
The cocoa madness could be witnessed in almost all the 200 plus villages of the electorate of about 70,000, who are growing and investing in cocoa . Since 2003, the Angoram cocoa production output was steadily increasing from 2,000 to 4,000 metric tonnes annually.
This generated direct cash earnings between K8 million and K16 million for the farmers.
Angoram Cocoa Coconut Project was the flagship of the Angoram Joint District Planning and Budget Priority Committee (JDP&BPC) under the chairmanship of Angoram MP and State Enterprise Minister Arthur Somare.
Meanwhile, two councillors from Togo and Manjuat villages have thanked the Government for reinstating Steven Mombi as ACCP manager.
They pledged their commitment to cocoa production, however, appealed to the Government for better price and reduce fuel cost, citing these as their greatest impediments.