Cocoa brings new hope and opportunity to East Sepik villagers

Ten cocoa buyers from the United Kingdom visited Baimuru Village in East Sepik this week, creating excitement among local farmers.

They attended the first-ever Mini Cocoa Cupping Show hosted by the Yekere Co-operative Society, where local growers proudly showcased their best cocoa beans to international buyers for the first time.

Sophie Jewett, owner of York Cocoa House, a UK-based chocolate company, was impressed by the flavor and quality of the samples. Her remarks: “I have been a judge on international cocoa shows, and I can say the cocoa quality here deserves an international award for quality.”

Yekere Co-operative Chairman Wilson Yaninen thanked the visiting buyers and said the event was an important achievement for the local community. “We thank the 10 buyers from the United Kingdom for tasting our cocoa and giving very good feedback,” he said. “The people of Yangoru and East Sepik now see the results of their hard work.”

Yaninen said the Mini Cocoa Cupping Show will now be held twice a year to help local farmers reach more markets and promote Sepik cocoa overseas.

The visit shows that more overseas buyers are interested in PNG’s high-quality cocoa and that rural communities can benefit from growing and selling it sustainably.