Helping cocoa farmers – The National

AGRICULTURE

An account of the Productive Partnership in Agriculture Project in Onga-Wafa district

**An aerial view of the long journey cocoa farmers from the Onga-Wafa district take by foot-crossing two rivers including the Markham itself to reach Mutzing.**

WALKING from his village in the Onga-Wafa LLG to a depot in Mudzing with a heavy bag of dry cocoa beans is a long and risky journey for cocoa farmer, Isaac Sam.
Each time he makes this journey, Sam has to negotiate the wild and unpredictable Markham river, keeping the beans dry and preventing everything – himself included – from being swept away by the strong currents. An access road would make a significant difference to farmers like Sam in the district but for now this is the only way he can get his cocoa beans to market.
Despite the two hour-long wet season walk along slippery paths and having to choose between a makeshift raft or hiring three men to carry each of his 63kg bags, Sam maintains he is happy being a cocoa farmer, particularly since he joined the Agi Agro Cooperative, supported through the Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Project (PPAP).
Under the PNG Government PPA project, funded by the World Bank, Sam was initially provided with 200 clone seedlings, which he has increased to 600 trees on his land.
“My vision is to continue developing my cocoa blocks so that one day I can pass these blocks down to my children,” says Sam, who plans to build a better fermentary and buy roofing iron to upgrade his house for his family.
He says his involvement in the PPAP project has produced many benefits.
“I can provide for my children’s needs and we can conveniently access medical services through the money cocoa brings.”
Since it began in 2011, PPAP has substantially increased the income and yields of thousands of cocoa and coffee-growing families like Sam’s with net income for growers increasing by 40 per cent since 2011. The K303 million PPAP was the largest agriculture programme implemented across 12 provinces when it concluded in 2020, and the benefits for small-scale farmers and their families is evident in communities like those in the Markham Valley.

Cocoa farmer Isaac Sam from the Onga-Wafa district in the Markham Valley has over 600 cocoa trees on his 2-hectare land. Isaac once planted and sold betel-nut but says the benefits from cocoa are better, especially with the support from the PPAP.

Female cocoa farmer Inchn Zisu from Magain in the Markham district has over 1,200 cocoa trees on her three-hectare land and says that since becoming part of PPAP in 2019, she has seen a huge change in her life.
“The project helped build an access road into my village a few years back because the bulk of cocoa farmers in the valley live here. This development has transformed our community in terms of better access to goods and services. I own a fermentary, a small store and I have even built a permanent house in my village, so I am very happy.”
Zisu adds that the skills she learnt through the project has made a big difference to her yields.
“My trees grow healthy fruit and the beans are very big now and I get a sense of pride from my harvest.”
The project has fostered an inclusive approach to supporting smallholder coffee and cocoa producers to access services and markets by forming cooperatives. Each cooperative is supported by the private sector, community-based organizations and the PNG government to identify the needs of these farmers and their communities and provide the support needed.
Isaac and Inchn are part of the Agi Agro Cooperative which supports over 500 cocoa farmers in the Markham valley. Aside from training and seedlings provided to farmers, the project has built a resource center, an access road that connects a few villages to the main road, a number of solar-powered cocoa dryers in key locations and supported refurbishing a small community school.
Through the establishment of more than 80 cooperatives over nine years, PPAP has supported over 60,000 cocoa and coffee growers, including nearly 24,000 women, across the country
Yali Kilamu from Dabu in the Markham district says being part of the Agi Agro cooperative has been invaluable to her.
“Cocoa farming is hard work; budding, pruning, drying the beans and then carrying them to sell,” says Yali, who dreams of building her own fermentary soon. “So when we work together under the cooperative, we receive a lot of support; like a feeder road into my village, which made transport much easier.”

Cocoa farmers from Dabu village in Markham valley selling their wet cocoa beans to a middle buyer stationed close to an access road built under the PPAP project. Middle buyers process the cocoa beans before selling to export companies.

Building on the success of PPAP, the PNG Government is now supporting a follow up project – the five-year, US$40 million PNG Agriculture Commercialisation and Diversification Project, which will also be supported by the World Bank.
The new project will build on the cooperative approach already established by PPAP, but focus on additional crops such as coconuts, spices and small livestock, with the aim of also helping to improve the nutrition of Papua New Guineans – with greater production of healthy, locally-grown foods.
“PPAP has delivered beyond expectations,” said Allan Oliver, the World Bank’s senior agricultural specialist. “We have seen increase in yields for both cocoa and coffee, which has increased economic activities for many communities, and created a demand from other communities who have not been part of the project.
“We are proud to continue this support to the agriculture sector, in partnership with the PNG Government and our implementing partners on the ground, through the new project focusing on expanding PNG’s agricultural opportunities.”
The PNG Government’s Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Project (PPAP) – and its successor; the PNG Agriculture Commercialisation and Diversification (PACD) Project – are funded through the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s fund for the world’s most in-need countries.
PPAP was also funded through the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), and the European Union’s Trust Fund, together with provincial and national governments across PNG, as well as a number of local farming organisations and communities.

Story and pictures suplied by the World Bank PNG office