Local farmers showcase cocoa during show

THE Papua New Guinea 2019 Kumul Bilong Morobe Cocoa of Excellence show in Lae attracted cocoa farmers and lovers who had been promoting Papua New Guinea cocoa in their own ways.
Local Bougainville cocoa farmers Martin and Kathleen Linnix have been growing cocoa in Sui-Selau since 2005.

***Premium Bougainville Nunu Chocolate handmade by Jasper and Myrtle on display for the first time outside Bougainville. – Nationalpic by EREBIRI ZURENUOC***

***Representatives from Paradise Foods Ltd Serah Amba, Victoria Wasok and Elvira Taiye promoting Queen Emma Chocolate. – Nationalpic by BRADLEY MARIORI***

Today, they have more than 3,500 trees on their four hectare farm and facility named “Nunu”.
It was their first time to showcase the Nunu chocolate brand outside the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
The brand is handmade by Jasper and Myrtle Chocolates, a small chocolate maker based in Canberra, Australia.
According to their website, the Nunu family farm sends its beans to Jasper and Myrtle to produce their premium range of chocolate. Kathleen Linnix said out of the 14 flavours made two are from Nunu cocoa.
“We have the Black Opal which is an 80 per cent dark chocolate with a rich and smooth finish, while the Twilight is a 63 per cent chocolate with a dash of milk,” Linnix said.
“The Black Opal recently won a gold medal at the 2017 Academy of Chocolate awards in London, while the Twilight also won a gold medal at the Australian Food Awards in Melbourne in 2017.”
She said the best thing about the relationship with Jasper and Myrtle was that they decided to be partners instead of buyer and seller.
“We work together as partners where we provide the quality beans and they make top quality chocolates,” she said.
“We applied for a micro licence from the PNG Cocoa board to export three bags of cocoa every time they need cocoa.”
“Farming is family-oriented, with all work done by our own family. From my eldest son to my grandchildren, myself and Martin, we all work in our farm and facility.”
Linnix said Jasper and Myrtle supported them with the shippage of the beans from the farm to Canberra, and this had helped them a lot in continuing to provide the best.
“However, issues with the taxpayer identification number from the Internal Revenue Commission and import permit from the National Agriculture Quarantine Inspection Authority had delayed their orders of the products to sell in PNG since beginning of this year.”
Linnix has been an assessor with the PNG Cocoa board for 19 years and was also part of the cocoa tasters training last year.