Cocoa products seeing boost under new agreement

A NEW agreement signed between the Australian-funded Market Development Facility and Paradise Foods Ltd will see a boost in locally-manufactured cocoa products.
The partnership will improve Paradise Foods Ltd production capacity to produce a new range of processed alkalised cocoa products, giving it a darker colour and smoother flavour.
The facility will support the Queen Emma Chocolate Company (Queen Emma), a subsidiary of Paradise Foods Ltd, with expansion of its processing facility through procurement and installation of cocoa processing equipment that would be used in the set-up of the improved cocoa production line.
Country director Sharif Islam said the support for downstream processing of cocoa products in PNG would benefit smallholder cocoa farmers. Paradise Foods Ltd chief executive James Rice said the cocoa industry in PNG had steadily improved and had great potential to compete internationally on cocoa products.
“Papua New Guinea produces some of the best cocoa beans in the world, and with support and expertise on proper farming techniques right up to processing, cocoa products in Papua New Guinea can be the best, even globally,” he said.
Traditionally, most agriculture commodities in PNG are exported as raw products, including cocoa.
The facility is a multi-country initiative supported by the Australian government to help farmers and workers, including women thrive in the agriculture sector.