Yangoru-Saussia in East Sepik Province will launch a District Agriculture Company in June this year.
Called the Ninere Agro Industries Limited, the company will purchase cocoa and vanilla directly from growers and export directly to overseas markets.
The establishment of the company is one of nine key resolutions passed by the Yangoru-Saussia District Development Authority (YSDDA) on April 28th.
Yangoru-Saussia MP Richard Maru, says the “Ninere Agro Industries Limited” or NAIL will buy cocoa and vanilla from all District farmers, cutting off middlemen foreign companies, and transferring the saved margin to farmers.
He said for too long, foreign middlemen cocoa exporters have enriched themselves at the sweat and toil of farmers. This will never again happen in his District.
The MP said the people of Yangoru-Saussia will buy shares in the company will export directly for the start.
From there on, they will build up to improve quality by replacing all wood-fired fermenteries to improve quality of their beans to fetch better prices.
They will then progress to downstream processing of their own cocoa right in the District with our farmers enjoying the good price for the value-add.
Maru said the District already produces 28% of East Sepik’s cocoa, that is 2300 metric tonnes earning K17 Million per year.
Their goal is to double that to 6000 metric tonnes, earning K35 Million per year; Money that is going directly to the District.
The YSDDA also approved a resolutions that an immediate survey be conducted in all the 96 Wards of YS District to gather accurate data and statistics for cocoa and vanilla for planning and distributions of cocoa seedlings
This is to find out data such as:
- The number of cocoa trees in the district and how many need replacements;
- How many farmers and households have cocoa gardens, what is their income and whether they have land available for more newer varieties;
- How many cocoa fermentries we have per ward and per LLG;
- Which Wards and Census Divisions produce the most cocoa;
- information on the condition of their roads from the Huaripmo Nursery and our sectoral intervention programs for the future.
The YSDDA Board approved K50,000 for this research.
Meanwhile YSDDA passed nine Resolution. They include:
- Repentance & Covenant Renewal
- Chicken Out-Grower Program & Credit Scheme
- Village Housing Scheme
- District Agriculture Company
- COVID-19 Response
- Revised 2020 Budget
- District Cocoa Plan & Survey
- Immunization
- Roads