Cocoa farmers hail freight subsidy by board

COCOA farmers of Laurin, Bagori and Manmantin wards in the Inland Kandrian local level government of Kandrian-Gloucester, West New Britain, will be able to sell their cocoa beans directly to buyers in Kokopo and Rabaul thanks to a freight subsidy.
Farmer Laurin Barnabas Malil said this in Kokopo on Thursday after an agreement was signed between the Cocoa Board of PNG and JJ Ship Equip Agencies which will see reduced freight costs for transporting cocoa from Pomio, East New Britain, and Kandrian-Gloucester in West New Britain.
Malil said they were the biggest cocoa growing area in West New Britain but because of a lack of access to markets in the province and the cost of transporting cargo, they were unable to sell their cocoa.
“Now with the freight subsidy scheme, I am happy because our farmers back at home can make a profit and for that I am very thankful to the Cocoa Board and the government for their assistance,” he said.
Malil is the director of a business group in his ward called Tanaka Business Group which bought cocoa wet beans from local famers.
He said his group travelled long distances from their Laurin ward, to Kandrian and to Kimbe to sell their cocoa but due to a lack of a market for cocoa they had to go all the way to Rabaul which was more expensive.
He said there more than 1,000 cocoa farmers from the three wards.