ALLURING AROMA: THE RISE OF HIGH-VALUE COCONUT PRODUCTS The rich aroma of freshly cooked coconut oil travelled over the seas, piquing the curiosity and interest of explorers sailing along a coast in Papua New Guinea’s Central Province. The alluring scent drew them ashore, eventually earning the Aroma Coast its name. Hundreds of years later, the rich aroma of coconuts continues to serve the families and communities of Aroma Coast well,

Database to help Vanuatu comply with export requirements L-R: Paul Molu (IT Consultant-VSolutions); Brendan Toner (IT Consultant-VSolutions); Carolyn Ernst (Chairlady of LIWG); Nambo Moses (Senior Livestock Officer); Ian Peebles (Principal Veterinary Officer). Vanuatu has launched a new animal health database that will aid the country’s efforts to comply with international trade requirements. Launched last week by Ms Carolyn Ernst – Chairlady of the Vanuatu Livestock Industry Working Group and Mr

Coffee competition partnership The Investment Promotion Authority has come on board as a partner sponsor to support the 2018 coffee cupping competition taking place this week in Port Moresby. A cheque of K5000 was presented to the Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) General Manager Steven Tumae by director corporate services Anna Marikawa at the IPA office in Port Moresby on Moday. Ms Marikawa said IPA had supported the event since 2015

Lautoka Port to test Sea Container Hygiene System A trial test on the implementation of the Sea Container Hygiene System (SCHS) will be carried out this week at the Port of Lautoka following the successful collaboration at a workshop hosted by the Pacific Horticultural & Agricultural Market Access (PHAMA) Program last week. Workshop participants at the Tanoa Waterfront Hotel, Lautoka. PC: Fiji Ports Corporation Limited The workshop was held at

For more than 10 years, Grace Klembasa toiled away on cocoa farms in Aitape, West Sepik Province in Papua New Guinea. With young twin daughters to support, the single mother devoted herself to a life of hardwork; a chapter that is now yielding rewards beyond her imagination. Grace’s journey to success began with a sample of dried cocoa beans she entered for the PNG Warwagira, the country’s first Cocoa of

Taking Pacific kava quality to new heights A kava bar in the United States, a nakamal in Vanuatu and that “baby mix” any day of the week in Fiji all share one thing in common: kava. Not just any kava, what’s in demand is quality kava. Quality is the new buzzword across kava-producing Pacific island countries today and a motivating factor for kava growers, processors and exporters to lift their

The launch of the Samoa ‘Ava Standard and ‘Ava Regulation marks a new beginning in the country’s efforts to improve the quality of ‘ava. Launched on Friday, 25 May 2018, the standard and regulation have been welcomed by stakeholders of the ‘ava industry. The standard and regulation will guide the way ‘ava and ‘ava products are handled, processed, packaged and exported to overseas markets and will facilitate safe trade by ensuring

Hands on … Men and women participate in a practical session of the portable sawmill operation training. PC: MORDI Fallen and damaged trees that were left scattered around parts of Tonga after Category 4 Tropical Cyclone Gita will soon be used to rebuild homes and aid recovery efforts. This week, 32 representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forests (MAFF), Latter Day Saints (LDS) Church, Tonga National Youth Congress,

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

 Awareness training sessions for stakeholders of the handicrafts and tourism industries in the Solomon Islands have been well received and lauded as an “eye-opening” experience. Organised by the Australian and New Zealand-funded Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access (PHAMA) Program, the training was well attended by about 150 stakeholders including handicrafts vendors, tourism operators, women’s groups, non-government organization representatives and donor partners. Officials from the Biosecurity Division of Ministry of

Premium cocoa exports for Solomon Islands reach new levels Patterson Siliota, the Chief Inspecting Officer of the Solomon Islands Commodities Export Market Authority (CEMA), confirmed that total exports of cocoa beans to the premium chocolate market for 2017 so far stands at 24 metric tonnes (worth over SBD600,000) compared with less than 2 metric tonnes exported in previous years. “This is a significant increase since Solomon Islands only began exporting cocoa