Bougainville cocoa farmers showcased their rich cocoa beans and cocoa products during a two-day mini chocolate festival held in October.
After a two year hiatus due to COVID-19, Bougainville’s famous Chocolate Festival resumed in mini-form at Independence Oval in Arawa, attracting cocoa farmers from Bougainville’s three regions.
The festival coincided with the launch of the Bougainville Cocoa Regulation Act. The Act outlines standards and compliance measures intended to improve the productivity, quality and international market access of the Bougainvillean cocoa bean.
The theme of this year’s festival was “Innovation and Information”, focused on marketing Bougainville’s award-winning cocoa beans and establishing trade relations and access to national and global markets.
A highlight was the bean-to-bar chocolate competition, judged by a panel of international cocoa experts, chocolate experts and chocolatiers. Judges included renowned chocolatiers and distributors Oonagh Browne from New Zealand and Thibault Fregoni from Australia.
Chairman of the PNG Cocoa Board, Albert Nukuitu, was delighted by the diversity of visitors. Local cocoa farmers and businesses were joined by cocoa investors, commodity industry players from agri-businesses, eco-tourist representatives and other stakeholders from Papua New Guinea and abroad.
“This level of participation from local, national and international cocoa enthusiasts is a great sign for the future, not only for the Bougainville cocoa sector, but also for the post COVID-19 economic recovery for the people of Bougainville, many of whom depend on cocoa for their livelihoods,” said Nukuitu.
Cocoa farmer and Vice President of Lenoke Women’s Association in Tokaino, Geraldine Letum, said she was happy to participate at the festival with her fellow women’s group members.
“Since the first festival in 2016, and with the assistance provided through the Commodity Support Facility (CSF) grants, women cocoa farmers from our 23 wards in Tokaino have seen changes and benefited greatly from these changes,” she said.
She added, “Bikpela tok tenkyu igo long ABG na ol partners, na long ol pipol na gavman bilong Australia long kamapim Commodity Support Facility grants, we mipela i lukim planti gutpela samting ikamap.”
(We want to thank the Autonomous Bougainville Government and its partners, and the people and the Australian Government for establishing Commodity Support Facility grants. We have seen a lot of good things come about from the grants.)
Bougainville cocoa beans won a gold award at the 2022 International Cocoa of Excellence Show. Cocoa farmers and producers are looking forward to participating at the next Cocoa of Excellence Show that will be held in Paris, France in 2023.
The Mini Chocolate Festival is an initiative of the Autonomous Bougainville Government under the Department of Primary Industries in partnership with both the Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research and the Bougainville Partnership, a development initiative between the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the governments of Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand.
Bougainville cocoa beans on display.
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