Chocolate brand supports farmers to boost quality

Islands

By ELIZABETH VUVU
QUEEN Emma Chocolate, a subsidiary of Paradise Foods Limited, is supporting local cocoa farmers to look after their plots to produce quality cocoa, a company official says.
The official, general manager Karina Makori, was speaking during the Air Niugini Cocoa Warwagira last week in Kokopo.
She said cocoa has been around for so many years and the company which was established in 2012 added value to the commodity.
“We have now a value-added product and are not just exporting but we can have something from our own cocoa on our shelves that visitors can buy and take back into their countries.”
Makori said PNG has the standard to meet cocoa quality and there was demand for chocolate.
“Paradise Foods’ Queen Emma has made chocolate affordable for people today,” she said.
“We have been making commercial bars since Feb last year at the chocolate factory in Port Moresby.”
The chocolate company is  proud to be working with farmers from Bougainville, their biggest supplier, as well the Lower Watut Cooperative Society in Morobe, the Tree Kangaroo Foundation in Madang and growers from Milne Bay. Last week she encouraged farmers in East New Britain to also become suppliers.
“Our social responsibility to the people is through downstream processing of cocoa as the livelihood of many farmers in rural area depends on cocoa.”