A local company in East Sepik Province, Aurosokwo Net Ltd has signed a freight rate concession agreement with Air Niugini on Thursday, May 19.
The agreement was for the airline and it's international partners to assist uplift cured vanilla beans from Wewak and deliver directly to US mainland markets.
The freight agreement has allowed the company to increase its vanilla export volume to over a tonne a month.
The village-based company from Yangoru is registered with US Food and Drug Administration to enable it to export cured vanilla beans directly to specific US food processing facilities.
The savings provided by this agreement will buffer operational costs and allow the company to pay a bit more to village farmers for a kilo of cured vanilla beans.
The company and its farmers appreciate the concession support by Air Niugini during this low commodity price cycle.
The company, to start of the arrangements, has also presented a cheque of K27,000 being for the freight cost for a tonne of cured Sepik vanilla exported to US this week.