Cocoa board wants to work together with more districts, says CEO

THE PNG Cocoa Board wants to see more collaboration with district development authorities (DDAs) to grow the industry in the country, chief executive officer Boto Gaupu says.
He also commended the Government for incentives to grow the industry.
Gaupu said this in Buin last Friday when he and Agriculture and Livestock Minister John Simon presented a cocoa export licence to Busiba-South Bougainville Corporation Ltd, the business arm of the South Bougainville development authority.
This will enable South Bougainville – the autonomous region’s major cocoa producer – to start exporting cocoa and help set Bougainville on the path to economic independence.
This came on the back of price support to South Bougainville by the Marape Government which would see farmers receive K3 per kilogramme of wet beans.
The licence was presented to Busiba chairman Joshua Bakirie and South Bougainville MP Timothy Masiu.
Simon also presented K200,000 to Busiba on behalf of the Government to start buying cocoa, K20,000 for freight, and later opened the Busiba Cocoa Shed.
Gaupu encouraged farmers, the company and DDA to work with the Cocoa Board to see positive results.
“The Cocoa Board cannot do it alone,” he said.
“That is why we are forming partnerships with DDAs in the country.
“This means that we must share resources, share capacities, technical knowledge and experience.
“The memorandums of agreement we sign is on a kina-for-kina basis.
“When the Cocoa Boards puts K1, DDAs put K1 – that’s how we have been operating.
“The Government has supported us through cocoa nurseries, cocoa freight subsidies and now price support.”
Gaupu said while the price support initiative had not been rolled out to the rest of Bougainville, yet he commended South Bougainville, through its MP, for facilitating the partnership.