Morobe farmer wins gold during cocoa show

CHEFANG Yaling from Wampan village in Lower Watut, Morobe, won gold for his cocoa at the “Kumul bilong Morobe” Cocoa Show of Excellence in Lae last Saturday.
Yaling earned a solar combination cocoa dryer valued at over K27,000 sponsored by the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture (WGJV).
He also won the category for the best youth farmer with a K6,000 prize money sponsored by the Pomio local level government.
Yaling said he did not expect to win any awards but attributed his success to all the hardworking stakeholders involved in cocoa in the Lower Watut region.
“Thank you WGJV for the support, both for the sponsorship of the event and importantly, your work in developing cocoa in our community,” he said.
“This is the result of your commitment and dedication.
“I thought I’d never be up here receiving this award.
“I am here and I thank God for his blessing. This is for all of us farmers and especially for the people of Lower Watut.”
PNG Cocoa board’s Nancy Kipang said that 182 cocoa samples from around the country were tested.
“We conducted preliminary tests where we look at the physical observation, basic quality test and pre-tasting,” she said.
“From the 182 samples we cut down to 66 for further pre-tasting and was brought down to the final 30.
“We brought these final 30 samples to Lae for the international judges to taste and judge. Based on their criteria selected the best cocoa in the country.”
WGJVs head of external relations David Wissink said it was pleasing to see one of the WGJVs footprint communities win the award and congratulated Yaling.
“The WGJV supports two Morobe cooperative farmers groups, the Lower Watut and Babuaf Cooperative Societies that represent 1,200 cocoa farmers,” he said.
“We want to encourage and empower local farmers to establish a flourishing cocoa industry in the province. We call it mining chocolate.
“Cocoa production enables families to improve their lives and the benefits will be seen for generations.
“By helping our local communities to develop sustainable agribusiness of their own is one of the ways we can empower people to improve their own well-being and that of their children.
“Our local communities will still be mining chocolate long after the mining company has gone away.”