Cocoa production increases in Papua New Guinea
Photo: Papua New Guinea Cocoa Board. Sketched by the Pan Pacific Agency.
PORT MORESBY, Dec 25, 2019, The National. The Papua New Guinea Cocoa Board says an estimated K250 million was generated from the country’s cocoa industry this year. Chief executive Boto Gaupu told The National yesterday that the board had seen some improvements in cocoa production in recent years and this had resulted in better than expected returns in 2019. “The estimated K250 million from the industry is up until September,” he said, The National reported.
“We will have the actual figures published once we have information on revenue generation from the sector up until December (this month).” Gaupu said prior to the disaster caused on cocoa trees by the cocoa pod borer in 2006, the industry was producing about 30,000 tonnes of cocoa annually.
“After that, serious interventions were taken by the industry to address the issue as the industry was on a decline,” he said.
“But with support from the Government, other private and development partners with assistance from DDAs (district development authorities) in their respective areas, we have now seen some improvement.
“The industry used to produce 33,000 tonnes of cocoa (annually) previously.
“Now, our annual production is around 40,000 tonnes per annum.”
Gaupu said it was important to not only produce more cocoa but to improve in the quality as well.
Meanwhile, he said they were working on improving some of the regulations and policies that guided the industry.
“Some of the areas mainly to do with regulations have been changed,” he said.
“Some of these were put together almost 36 year ago.
“Rules and regulations we have in place will have to change with time.”
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