S.B’ville gets export licence

SOUTH Bougainville has received a cocoa export licence for its business arm, the Busiba-South Bougainville Corporation Ltd.
This will enable South Bougainville, regarded as the biggest cocoa producer in the Autonomous Region, to start exporting cocoa from the Kangu Wharf.
The Government is supporting South Bougainville’s cocoa iondustry which will see farmers paid K3 per kg of wet beans.
Agriculture and Livestock Minister John Simon and PNG Cocoa Board chief executive officer Boto Gaupu handed over the licence to Busiba chairman Joshua Bakirie and South Bougainville MP Timothy Masiu, in Buka on Friday.
Simon also gave K200,000 on behalf of the Government to Busiba.
He later opened the Busiba cocoa shed with Bougainville minister for primary industries Yolande Geraldine Paul.
Simon praised South Bougainville for setting up its own buying and exporting company.
Simon said the PNG Cocoa Board was now rolling out price support at selected buying points.
He said the quality of South Bougainville cocoa was well known and was used to produce Queen Emma Chocolate by Paradise Foods.