K465,000 funding helps cocoa farmers strike gold at B’ville festival

When Simeon Peinomu submitted an application for grant funding on behalf of Pahari Group, he was hoping to not only increase cocoa production, but also raise the living standards of farmers.
The Pahari Group is from Oria village in Buin, South Bougainville. It has 50 farmers – 40 men and 10 women.
The group successfully secured a grant of K465,000 through the commodity support facility to improve the quality and quantity of cocoa production.
Peinomu said the first tranche payment was spent on fixing six fermentaries.
“After we did the maintenance on the fermentaries, the quality of the cocoa beans was much better,” He said.
“We also procured a tractor using the grant money. Two farmers travelled to Rabaul to learn new techniques of growing cocoa.”
Pahari Group is one of 26 cocoa farming groups in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville awarded K10.4 million through the Australian-supported Commodity Support Facility.
Each group comprises 50 farmers, with grants used to improve the quality and quantity of cocoa, and to develop the local cocoa industry.
Peinomu holds regular meetings with all farmers to discuss how grant funds will be spent.
“With the second tranche payment we bought tools and pesticides,” he said.
“With the third tranche, we will buy cocoa plant seedlings and distribute them to the 50 farmers.”
Last year, the group won first prize at the Bougainville Chocolate Festival, an annual event supported by the Government, ABG, Australia and New Zealand.
“Within a year of fixing our fermentaries, we won gold,” Peinomu said.