The 34th Australia Papua New Guinea Business Forum and Trade Expo gets underway this week in Brisbane. The Forum is the major annual business meeting between Australia and Papua New Guinea. It provides a platform for business leaders from both countries to discuss issues with the aim of enhancing the bilateral business relationship. This year’s theme is APEC 2018 – Achievements and Opportunities. PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill visits the

Banz Kofi Fektori has become the first coffee producer in Papua New Guinea to achieve the internationally recognised Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) accreditation. HACCP is an internationally recognised way of managing food safety and protecting consumers. This accreditation means Banz Kofi products can be exported to Australian and other countries where HACCP accreditation is a requirement before accepting imports. Patrick Killoran (sixth from left) from Banz Kofi

Sensory evaluation training to help test cocoa quality Twenty one participants from the cocoa industry around Papua New Guinea attended a three-day Sensory Evaluation Capacity Training at Tavilo, East New Britain last week. They travelled from as far as West and East Sepik, Bougainville, Morobe, Madang and East New Britain provinces. The training was facilitated by the Australia and New Zealand-funded Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access (PHAMA) Program in

The Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access (PHAMA) Program in Papua New Guinea continues to gain recognition for its progress in export market facilitation. PHAMA PNG attributes this to its successful working relationship with stakeholders, including the PNG Government. At the PHAMA Coordinating Committee meeting in Nadi, Fiji last week, PHAMA PNG’s Senior National Coordinator, Jane Ravusiro, acknowledged their partnerships as being a contributing factor to the Australia and New

 To promote the sale of handicrafts in Vanuatu, a handicrafts biosecurity awareness video and handicrafts vendor guide were launched during the Pacific Week of Agriculture in Port Vila last month. Hon. Matai Seremaiah Nawalu, Vanuatu’s Minister for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Forestry and Biosecurity jointly launched the video and vendor guide with Jenny Da Rin, Australian High Commissioner to Vanuatu and Georgina Roberts, New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Vanuatu. L-R: Solomon