In a bid to enable farmers to put into practice skills acquired during capacity building trainings, the EU Funded UN Joint STREIT PNG Programme has started distributing tools and materials.
This support will enable rural communities to improve their husbandry practices in cocoa and vanilla blocks.
This intervention which started in May has so far distributed to;
- 52 cocoa farmer groups in East Sepik Province and
- 38 cocoa farmer groups in Sandaun Province with
- 900,000 polybags,
- 90 shade cloths,
- 180 telescopic pole pruners,
- 90 measuring tape and
- 90 boxes of budding tape.
These inputs will help the farmers to rehabilitate their blocks to improve the production of high-quality cocoa beans for an increased income to support their livelihood and families.
These groups all have already received tailored training on cocoa bud grafting and block management organised by the Programme in collaboration with PNG Cocoa Board and Department of Agriculture and Livestock officers in the districts and local level governments.
The skills acquired during this training assist the farmers to enhance their cultivation, farm management, and harvesting practices.
“I want to say thank you to STREIT PNG and the financiers of this Programme the European Union. The training we attended, we will now put into practice using these tools and materials,” said Maureen Mombi, whom with her husband Ben are organizing and supporting three farmer groups of 1500 members from Mushu Island, Hambraure village, Wewak District, and Hambini village in Ambunti-Drekikier District.
The 90 registered cocoa groups of over 45,000 farmers have started propagation of cocoa bod borer (CPB) tolerant seedlings in their respective nurseries.
The Programme will continue to support them, whereby each group will have their seedlings purchased and distributed to their respective members or farmers including youths and women for free.