Cocoa exports average K360mil a year: Board

PNG cocoa exports generate an average of K360 million annually despite the challenges facing farmers to maintain the quality, says Cocoa Board chief executive officer Boto Gaupu.
He said the board wanted to ensure farmers produced cocoa in a sustainable manner taking into consideration farm management, fermentation and drying processes.
Gaupu said the country was not producing enough cocoa beans to export and for downstream processing locally which would lead to more job creation.
“Instead, based on limited annual production, it generates K360 million in average for the government purse.”
Gaupu said Markham district was Morobe’s top cocoa producer.
“Morobe increased from 800 tonnes to 5000 tonnes annually,” Gaupu said.
Gaupu attributed it to the support of cocoa buyers and exporters such as Outspan PNG, Agmark and Elliveen.
He said Outspan PNG was also educating farmers on how to maintain cocoa sustainability taking into consideration the environment.
Gaupu was at the opening of a water supply at Sauruan, Umi-Atzera on Tuesday by chocolate manufacturer Lindt and Springuli, Switzerland. It was represented by head of sustainability Leonie Brühlmann and Olam Cocoa head of sustainability Simon Bryan Smith.
Brühlmann said Lindt & Springuli had rejected smoked stained cocoa beans from PNG.
“We are interested in cocoa beans not tainted by smoke as we want the pure taste of cocoa,” Brühlmann said.
Markham has 1,500 farmers registered with Outspan PNG, 500 of whom are from Sauruan village and four project sites.