Cocoa production up despite low prices

By MICHAEL PHILIP
THERE is an increase in the sale of cocoa in East New Britain despite the reduction in price, according to the only cocoa buyer in the province.
New Guinea Islands Produce Agmark (NGIP) fermentry supervisor Jack Obert said the Cocoa Pod Borer (CPB) had affected cocoa production initially, but they had noticed a change.
“It’s really surprising to see that every day, we buy over a thousand (kg) of cocoa from local farmers,” he said.
“We didn’t expect that, because we know CPB (had affected production).
“People are now flooding (us) with their cocoa.
“We are buying clean wet cocoa beans from local farmers.”
Obert said the NGIP Agmark did not have the manpower to conduct training in villages on the CPB.
“The farmers themselves have made it their responsibility to come up with innovative ways to grow cocoa.”
He admitted that the company did not have a “reasonable cocoa buying price”, but the farmers were still coming in with their cocoa to sell.
“Our farmers are hardworking people and we feel for them as our buying price is very low. But that’s beyond our control.”
The company has decreased its buying price from K1.80 to K1.60 (wet bean) and K4 to K3.90 (dry bean).