Sepik farmers gear up for cocoa trade

Daryl Worimo Wobar-Regional Cocoa Coordinator, East/West Sepik, Ali Said Yesuf- Program Coordinator EU-STREIT PNG, Cocoa of Excellence & Trade Expo Technical Working Committee Interim Chairman- Jeffrey Yawi at the Cocoa Expo First Fundraising Dinner in Village Inn, Wewak, ESP (Image: Supplied)

The Greater Sepik Region cocoa farmers will meet face-to-face with international chocolate tasters, investors, and buyers from overseas for the first time in 2026 at the Cocoa of Excellence & Trade Expo.

This landmark event will be hosted in the East Sepik from April 21 to 23, giving local farmers and communities a rare opportunity to showcase their cocoa directly to the world.

To support this vision, the business community of the Greater Sepik Region has already stepped forward.

A successful corporate fundraising dinner was held at the Village Inn Hotel on Friday, where business houses contributed a total of K210,000 towards the show.

This strong commitment has shown how local businesses and communities are working together to make the Expo a reality.

The official launch of the Sepik Cocoa of Excellence & Trade Expo will take place in Port Moresby on the 28th of this month. This will mark the beginning of preparations for next year’s international event.

Interim Chair of the Show’s Technical Working Steering Committee, Jeffrey Yawi, thanked those who contributed to ensuring the success of the Expo next year.

He said the Committee’s priority is to make sure farmers have direct contact with buyers in person and are able to sell their cocoa directly to the international market, putting money straight into the pockets of local farmers.

Yawi further emphasized that transparency and accountability will always be upheld to ensure the successful delivery of the Greater Sepik Cocoa of Excellence & Trade Expo 2026.