Cocoa windfall not felt in all cocoa growing provinces

Monday, 29 April 2024, 12:40 pm

A picture from East Sepik Governor Alan Bird showing farmers at a selling depot in Wewak. He revealed cocoa buyers and exporters are running low on cash to make payment for dried cocoa bags.

Competition from cocoa buyers and exporters are driving up prices of dried cocoa bags at the weighing scale.

Provinces of East Sepik, East New Britain and Autonomous Region of Bougainville will soon see a dried cocoa bag hit K3, 000 mark.

But story is not the same for cocoa farmers in West New Britain, where a bag of dried cocoa is now bought at K1,015, a slight rise from K950, a week ago.

PNG Cocoa Board Provincial Senior Field Services officer, Hugo Kuvoro said other provinces have many cocoa exporters and competition is resulting in price hike.

“The price for a bag of dried cocoa should increase once the new exporters commence operations in coming weeks,” Mr Kuvoro response to farmers concerned about cocoa price disparities.

He said PNG Cocoa Board has invited two cocoa buyers and exporters into the province and increase competition will result in better prices for farmers.