The Government is building a road into remote Karamui in Chimbu Province to bring out its rich cocoa and other agriculture produce to market.
Prime Minister James Marape made this announcement when launching the PNG Cocoa of Excellence Show recently in Port Moresby.
The Karamui Road is one of 66 roads all over the country funded by the Marape Government into rural areas to help move people from subsistence farmers into a cash economy.
The roads will enable them to move their cocoa, coffee, copra, vanilla and other cash crops to market.
The October 7-9 event in Kundiawa, organised by the PNG Cocoa Board, will display the finest cocoa of PNG including from Karamui – which is known to grow the biggest cocoa pods in the country.
Last October, the Prime Minister visited Karamui, where he gave K10 million to start work on the long-overdue road linking Karamui-Nomane, a landlocked district with massive untapped agriculture potential, with the rest of Chimbu.
“We are now building a road into Karamui, small as it may, but there is consistent effort now for the first time,” PM Marape told a fullhouse and appreciative crowd at the dinner.
“Hopefully, by 2025, when the nation celebrates 50 years of Independence, Karamui is also smiling because the road has reached them.
“That road is not a wasted road. That road will go towards unlocking one of the agricultural hubs of our country.
“Karamui is known to produce the biggest cocoa and the most-organic cocoa, and any other agriculture crop you can imagine, in this hinterland between the coast and Highlands.”
Prime Minister Marape thanked the Chimbu Provincial Government, its Governor Michael Dua for bringing the event up to his province.
He also thanked Karamui-Nomane MP, Geoffrey Kama, for his support of the cocoa industry in his district as well as all other Chimbu MPs.