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MARKET ACCESS FOR REMOTE COCOA FARMERS

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Cocoa farmers from a remote community living along the Sepik River are now connected to the leading cocoa industry players in the country and overseas and receive a premium price for their quality cocoa products.

With support from the EU-STREIT PNG Programme and PNG Investment Promotion Authority (IPA), MUPA Cocoa Cooperative Society, which comprised of 240 farmers from two villages in Yuat LLG of Angoram District in East Sepik Province, established a business link with Queen Emma Chocolate Company.

Recently, they sent their first shipment of quality beans to the chocolate-making company, achieving a considerably higher market price.

Director of MUPA Cocoa Cooperative Ltd, Sperian Kapia said the company is paying a higher rate for their dried beans at K630 per bag, which is more than the average price offered by intermediary buyers.

Their first shipment consisted of 40 bags of quality dried beans, fetched an additional K4,000 into the cooperative’s bank account.

The EU-STREIT PNG Programme is working on improving the access of local agricultural enterprises to domestic and overseas markets.

This includes organising exposure visits to national and international agri-food trade shows, where the Sepik-based agripreneurs can learn, interact, identify potential buyers, and forge new business opportunities.

Kapia was one of the Sepik cocoa model farmers who participated in the International Food Service & Hospitality Exhibition in Singapore in August 2022, where he initiated the market link with Queen Emma Chocolate Company.

“It was there that Queen Emma Chocolate’s representatives showed interest in our cocoa and invited me to visit their factory in Port Moresby. We reached to an agreement to supply the company with our unique cocoa dried beans,” said Kapia.

Kapia said with these support, they were also introduced to a new potential buyer from New Zealand, the Pacific Cocoa 380.

“The EU-STREIT PNG Programme assisted us in freighting 20 KG of our cocoa dried beans to New Zealand, where they tasted our cocoa, and has shown interested in the quality.”

Kapia said they have agreed to buy 15 to 20 tons of cocoa dried beans from MUPA.

This premium price paid for dried beans and extra income generated at the cooperative level, allows MUPA and affiliated fermentaries to pay a higher rate for wet beans, extending the benefits to farmers at the grassroots level, who produce and supply wet beans to fermentaries.

“The usual price for wet beans used to be lower, around K1.4 per KG, but thanks to the direct connection formed with the premium buyers, we are now able to pay farmers at a higher price, at K1.7 per KG of wet beans, which is 21 percent above the normal rate,” Kapia explained.

“This helps the parents in my community to pay for their kids’ school fees, buy utensils for their houses, and food to improve family’s diets.”

“With this support and market arrangement that gives us more money, we can also continue to support our farmers in terms of social development; we have school and want to support it in terms of infrastructure and educational material, also our health care.”

This connection and access to market is something different and promising for our farmers,” Kapia said.

Related: https://insidepng.com/eu-streit-program-partners-with-agri-enterprises/

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Agriculture

Helping Hand Honey in Goroka

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Kelly Inae dispaying his beloved bees.

Helping Hand Honey Producers is the name of the establishment founded by Kelly Inae in 2006. The location is always buzzing with life and Kelly prides himself with sharing the knowledge of bee keeping and honey production.

Located at Fimito Kafana Road in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province, is the site of a bee farmers training area where honey is produced and packaged.

Plant life is important in the honey making process and for Kelly, he has amassed some hectares of land for a habitat that provides the bees with the pollen they need for honey production.

Kelly is a conservationist at heart and his habitat is a testament to that. He ensures the habitat is well looked after for trainees to see the different plants that aid in honey production.

Whilst it is a marvel to taste sweet honey straight from the hive, its a bitter sweet tale for the workers of the hive, with bees in the region falling short of a sweet finish. Production has declined in the past two years with climate change being a big challenge for the bees. But Kelly and his colleagues continue to figure out and innovate ways to improve the situation.

Honey from Papua New Guinea is much desired overseas and remains a high priced commodity both locally and globally but honey production is still at a small scale in country.

Kelly is working to export honey to Australia and is certain he will meet requirements before his first export date in November.

Kelly continues to pursue improvements in the industry and has written books and guides about bee keeping and continues to provide valuable statistics to the relevant Government bodies to help in conservation and honey production.

Helping Hand Honey

More info and contact information about Helping Hand Honey can be found at https://www.facebook.com/helpinghandhoney/ and more links to stories about Kelly and Honey production and training can be found there.

Related Story: https://insidepng.com/capacity-building-for-environment-conservation/

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News

Coca-Cola’s PET beverage bottle collection program launched

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Coca-Cola PNG has rolled out a new program to decrease the amount of plastic waste in and around the environment and encourage the collection and recycling of PET beverage bottles.

The program entails the collection of coke and other soft drink bottles for an incentive.

Tim Solly, the Commercial Director for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PNG said, as a beverage manufacturer, it is their responsibility to have a long-term commitment to sustainability in regards to packaging.

“Packaging waste is undoubtedly a major challenge, and it’s also a solvable one if we take action”.

This collaborative exercise between CCEP PNG, Coca-Cola PNG and Branis Recycling Limited aims to prevent plastic bottle waste from going into landfill, waterways and the environment in general.

Members of the public will be crucial in contributing to the program by collecting PET plastic beverage bottles and taking them to Branis collection centres at Ahuia Street, Gordons; Spondias Street, Hohola; Movivina Street, Gerehu, Stage 6; Gordons Market and Badili, along Hurbert Murray Highway.

There, the bottles will be weighed and the consumer will be paid one kina per kilo depending on the number of plastic bottles brought in.

To help the recycling exercise of plastic bottles, Coca-Cola PNG has purchased two PET shredders to pre-process the PET bottles into flake, which is a more cost-effective material to ship offshore; prior to this, all PET beverage bottles were baled before being shipped offshore.

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Agriculture

Sapuka Villagers Focus on Rice Farming

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Igu Kisua and OTDF CEO Havini Vira holding Sapuka Rice

The village of Sapuka in the South Fly District of Western Province has embarked on a journey to achieve food security through rice farming in their area.
Last month, the community witnessed the official launch, of a food security program, aimed at empowering the people to cultivate rice and drought tolerant crops at the village level.

This initiative has gained momentum, with more than 100 farmers producing milled rice at the Community Seed Bank Centre (CSBC) since November 2022.
Igu Kisua, a community representative said, the villagers were used to rely on the forest for sustenance, but with the introduction of rice farming in their area, their lives have been transformed.

The locally produced rice has not only met the needs of the village, but it has also contributed to feeding nearby villages along the Fly River.
However, the limited capacity of the milling equipment, resulting in delays have been a challenge for farmers.

The village representative said, there is a need for a larger and more robust milling machine.

He further emphasized that downstream processing plays a pivotal role in motivating farmers.

Fresh Produce Development Agency Executive Manager, John Kewa also expressed his anticipation to support food security through a collaborative partnership with the Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF).

“We are actively working towards deploying our officers to Sapuka Village this year to provide technical assistance on the ground.” He said.

OTDF Chief Executive Officer Havini Vira acknowledged the community’s efforts in taking ownership of the food security program, which will be rolled out across the province.

He further emphasized the significance of such community-driven initiatives, as a pathway to sustainable community development.

Related: https://insidepng.com/rigo-rice-supports-domestic-rice-demand/

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Agriculture

Fijian Prime Minister and Delegates’ Visit Ilimo Farm

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Fijian Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka in his recent visit to PNG, was given the opportunity to visit the Innovative Agro Industry’s farms over the weekend.

The Prime Minister and his delegates began their tour at the Ilimo Dairy Farm at 14 mile, outside of Port Moresby.

They were given a tour of the milking parlor and the production facility, where they witnessed first-hand the different processes of producing milk and other Ilimo products.

The Fijian Delegates ended their tour at the 9 mile vegetable farm.

They had the opportunity to visit the green houses, where various vegetables are grown, including the advanced drip irrigation and climate control systems.

The Prime Minister was impressed with the tour, saying it was an eye opener for them.

“I am sure the official delegation will take back with them a lot from this visit, and try to incorporate them into the Agro Industries at home,” said Prime Minister Rabuka.

The Innovative Agro Industries was first established in 2011, and they are involved in  a wide range of activities such as farming, greenhouses, poultry and dairy.

AIA Executive Director, Ilan Weiss said the visit is an opportunity for them to showcase the progress and advancement in the fields of agriculture and food production.

“It is always an honor for us to show dignitaries visiting the country, what we do. We took a lot of pride in what we do, and there’s a lot of passion put into our work.

“It is agriculture, it is a long term investment.” The Executive Director said.

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Business

Rigo rice supports domestic rice demand

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Papua New Guinea, is one of the biggest consumers of rice, but doesn’t have the capacity to supply its demand.

Rigo Rice Managing Director Jeffery Kennedy in his presentation, during the Special Economic Zone Summit, said PNG imports more rice to feed its local demand.

“In PNG we are looking at 99.9% imports of rice, just to feed our local demand,” the Managing Director said.

“With the current global trends, this puts PNG in a very vulnerable spot, in terms of food security.”

Rigo Rice is one of the biggest rice projects in the Central Province and has been operational for more than five years.

In addition, they have invested more than K10 million to build a solid rice business.

They are also supporting local farmers to grow rice, and sell to them.

The Managing Director said, to ensure it continues to grow and meet domestic demands, this project will need the support of all stake holders including the government.

“Government has a very important role to play in rice farming and production when it comes to ensuring food security as an aspect of National security,” Kennedy said.

Minister of International Trade and Investment Richard Maru responded positively, saying the government is ready to give its support.

He said Rigo Rice deserves government support and recognition because they have earned the right to be supported.

Maru further added that the company already has a well established farm which needs to be expanded from 250 hectares to 6000 hectares.

“The government will assess Rigo Rice, and if we are convinced that Rigo Rice deserve our support because it is going to be profitable and sustainable, and all it needs is capital to buy machines, we will invest as an investor, as a joint venture partner, Maru explained.

He said Rigo Rice have also offered to assist the government, by helping other provinces and districts to set up commercial rice farms.

Rigo Rice is one of six projects that will be given Special Economic Zone License by the government this year.

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News

NEW PORGERA AGREEMENT

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The Independent State of Papua New Guinea, Barrick Niugini Limited and New Porgera Limited has signed an agreement to progress with the operations of the mine.

The New Porgera Progress Agreement signed on Friday confirms that all parties are committed to reopening the mine at the earliest opportunity.

The signing ceremony at the government house was witnessed by Prime Minister James Marape, Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso, Barrick Gold CEO Mark Bristow, ministers of the state, and other stake holders.

After the signing Ceremony, Prime Minister James Marape addressed the media, saying this is a huge step closer to the reopening of the Porgera mine.

The Prime Minster further shared his appreciation to the State Negotiation Team and all stake holders for their patience, and hard work behind the scene, which allowed them to go through the due processes.

Marape said there has been a lot of delay in the processes, however these are all steps to ensure the new porgera is a fruitful venture.

Barrick CEO Mark Bristow further explained that the next steps are to transfer the exploration license from old Porgera to new Porgera, and make the application for the special Mining license, and that will open the doors to starting up the mine.

“We have a number of people to employ between now and the startup. We have started, and we will continue to employ people.” Bristow said.

He said they are committed to start producing gold within this year.

The CEO also appealed to the people of Porgera to end all violence and work together for a better place in Enga province.

Under the New Porgera agreement, economic benefits will be shared 53% by the PNG stakeholders and 47% by Barrick Niugini Limited.

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Agriculture

Mama Bank Assists Local Farmers

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Women vegetable growers in Wau, Morobe Province have received two new walk-behind tractors.

Under an Agriculture, Value Chain Finance (AVCF) product tailored by the Women’s Micro Bank Limited (Mama Bank), Produce Distributer NKW Fresh, and the Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI), the product aims at assisting small-scale farmers with financial needs.

Mama Bank CEO, Gunanidhi Das said farmers play a significant role in supplying PNG Markets with fresh produce and most importantly generate an income to support their families.

However, they are restricted to financial institutions to acquire funding to improve their productivity.

“Mama Bank is glad to empower and build the financial capacity of PNG farmers through easier access to credit facilities, and I thank NKW Fresh and PSDI for this great partnership,” said Das.  

Under the AVCF product, farmers can obtain finance to improve their income generation activities. The AVCF product will also identify areas in the sector that needs to improve.

With the walk-behind tractors, 15 women farmers are now set to benefit fully from this initiative.

“PSDI is pleased to support an important initiative and innovating financial solution,” PSDI Growth Specialist Jeremy Cleaver said.

Furthermore, NKW Fresh General Manager David Stewart said a farmer using machines like the walk-behind tractor can cultivate land four times more than the use of traditional tools like spades and forks.  

He added the increased productivity can provide a small-scale farmer with an annual income between K45,000 and K75,000.

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Sport

SP Brewery Snags Plate in Corporate Bowling

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South Pacific Brewery had an impressive finish during the recently held Corporate Bowls challenge by claiming the Plate shield.

SP Brewery beat an experienced Lae Medical Services side, 18 points to 6 to claim the title.

The team attributed the victory to the spirit of “brewing the joy of true togetherness”.

“We played as a team and our team spirit was always on point therefore, we won despite being a newcomer to the competition,” says SPB staff and player Nellie Sikat.

“Almost every one of us on the team did not know much about bowling, but we gradually learn in the process of playing.”

A total of 16 corporate companies participated in the seven week challenge.

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Business

Tari-Pori District Invests K1mil for Women in Business

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Women in Business is a focus for the Tari-Pori District in the next 5 years.

Taking steps to help women in the district, the Tari-Pori DDA presented K1million to the Women’s Micro Bank in Port Moresby recently.

DDA CEO Willie Kara said the district focused mainly on Health, Education and Infrastructure, however for this year, local Member and Prime Minister James Marape opted for Women in Business as a priority.

“Our DSIP is broken into 9 main sectors – health, education and infrastructure development are our main sectors. For this year, we want to see women in business, and this program will help us see if our women can venture into business,” Kara said.

The Women’s Micro Bank since its establishment has been helping women in the country in business. They’ve partnered with 5 Districts and 1 Provincial Government to bring about training for women who want to venture into the SME space as well as providing the financial means for women to start their own businesses.

“The Bank is women orientated. We want to create financial inclusion for our women. The Bank is here to create that conducive environment for women to grow their businesses,” Bank CEO Gunanidhi Das said.

The K1million funding will be used for training programs as well as capital for women groups in Tari-Pori to use.

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