Farmers asked to register groups

By PISAI GUMAR
COCOA Board of Papua New Guinea (CBPNG) has urged farmers and fermentery owners to comply with Government procedures by registering cooperative groups as well as opening bank accounts to operate as a business entity.
Regional manager Mamose Anthon Ningi told Markham cocoa growers and fermentery owners that not all cooperative groups were complying with regulations and procedures.
As a result, 127 applications from Umi-Atzera were yet to be certified before registration.
Ningi was vocal over 375 fermentery owners being unable to follow procedures in drying wet beans.
He said it would totally affect the market and tarnish the image of growers, Coca Board of Papua New Guinea and exporters.
Ningi said Markham alone produced 37 per cent of cocoa, generating K22 million annually.
He said if the 375 fermentries had followed procedures, that could generate about K60 million annually for Markham.
“Many growers and fermentery owners are not complying with CBPNG regulations and procedures,” Ningi said.
He said all cocoa-producing districts had their identification codes listed against their districts.
Ningi said the farmers had to get a letter from Coca Board of Papua New Guinea regional office, and register their groups with Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) and Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) to enable them to open bank accounts.
He said the Cocoa Board of Papua New Guinea would roll out farmers’ data collection survey next year to compile a database.
That will separate eligible growers and fermentery owners from those who are not complying with procedures and eliminate them.
Ningi also noted the challenges for land tenure and disputes, including fermentery ownership.
“I have recorded 39 land disputes within three months, which is not good because such issues should be ironed out before registering groups and opening bank accounts,” he said.
“Existence or prolonging of such issues kills cocoa farming and production.”