Food and Agriculture Organization-led EU-STREIT PNG will provide technical assistance to 1,418 cocoa and vanilla lead farmers in nine remote villages in Sandaun Province, who will further train 14,000 farmers.
EU-STREIT PNG have conducted six cocoa bud grafting and block management trainings for 1061 lead farmers in Aitape, East and West LLGs, in order to rehabilitate old cocoa trees and those affected by cocoa pod borer (CPB) pest. A new vanilla pollination technique will equip 357 lead farmers in six villages in remote areas.
FAO-led EU-STREIT PNG conducted 12 trainings for farmers in Sandaun, who earn a living from cocoa and vanilla.
The focus is on teaching all necessary information and skills at a community level, the Technical Assistance mission delivered Training of Trainers (TOT) to the 1,418 cocoa and vanilla lead farmers in nine remote villages in the province.
The National Cocoa Production Officer, Michael Lames, who facilitated these capacity-building trainings, explained that their partnership with the officers from the Cocoa Board and Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL) officers in Aitape-Lume District made it possible for them to select farmers from 100 plus cluster groups. It included women and youth. They attended as possible trainers for follow up trainings.
Mr Lames said participants will practice in their blocks and whilst doing so training others in their community this important life skill.
Bud grafting or cocoa propagation is the latest innovation in cocoa farming that EU-STREIT PNG is promoting among rural communities in the Greater Sepik Region. This targeted training enables farmers to replace and rehabilitate old cocoa trees affected by the cocoa bod borer (CPB) pest, resulting in low production and loss in income for thousands of rural families.
