The cocoa industry has grown over the years since the cocoa pod borer disease decimated harvests in 2006 with a million trees planned to be planted within three years.
The roll out of planting new cocoa trees begun in 2014 and is benefiting two million farmers in the country.
Cocoa Board Papua New Guinea (CBPNG) chief executive officer Boto Gaupu said they’ve planted half a million cocoa trees under the three years nursery cocoa project.
Gaupu said they have half a million more trees in the nurseries throughout the country that are yet to be planted under this project.
The cocoa industry to date has provincial and district cocoa growers, a total of 12 nurseries with 500 million trees in the nurseries throughout the country.
Gaupu said, “We are excited we see a lot of potential because down the line, five to seven years time, cocoa prices will be very stable.
“Its prospects are very good so we need to harness this opportunity and with the new interim board in place it should guide and direct the management to help us take advantage of those opportunities.
Gaupu said that the cocoa plantations have been planted a long time ago so they would like to revive it by planting more cocoa trees.
The cocoa board has opened offices in centres where they were not present before including Lae, Kimbe, Oro, Aitape and Milne Bay.
Gaupu added that a lot of non-cocoa growing provinces are starting to come on board including Jiwaka and Eastern Highlands.
“We must give the opportunity to our people in the rural districts and communities to meaningfully participate in the cocoa development process of the country.
“This is why in the last two years we have focused more on the resources especially in production of the cocoa industry,” he said.