Take advantage of high cocoa prices: Bird

By MAJELEEN YANEI
EAST Sepik Governor Allan Bird says cocoa growers in the province have another two to three years of high prices to build homes, install solar power and improve their lives.
“This year, our farmers should to start using fertiliser to maintain production,” he said on a Facebook post.
“The East Sepik government has budgeted for a fertiliser subsidy this year with the help of European Union.”
Farmer Gideon Malow said the hike in cocoa prices and increase in wet-bean production in East Sepik called for more cocoa fermentries in remote areas. Malow said about 100 cocoa growers from Wosera-Gawi’s remote Yangit village did not have a fermentry and had to take beans to Torembi, Numbakau, Nummangua and other villages to sell.
“A farmer owns about two to three hectares of cocoa and with the increase in hybrid and smart cocoa production, a village needs to have its own fermentry to buy and ferment wet cocoa beans,” he said.
“People carry wet beans in bilums and walk up to four hours to look for buyers and some times they are cheated and get a lower than the normal price.”
Farmer Agartina Kasa said the wet-bean price at K5per kilogramme was bringing in money for families.
“I’m able to pay the fees of my two sons in grades nine and 11, buy solar panels for lighting at home and afford basic necessities regardless of the inflation issue,” she said.
Ricky Hombiremba, a fermentry owner in Yangoru, said the price of processed cocoa beans was K1,230 a bag, and K6 per kg for wet beans.