Page 18 - IB June 2017

Trade
PNG agro products take limelight

at Australia-PNG trade show

The 33rd Australia Papua New Guinea
Business Forum and Trade Expo was a
bonus for local agricultural and handicraft
producers seeking to promote their prod-
ucts and expand their networks.
With support from the Pacific Horti-
cultural and Agricultural Market Access
(PHAMA*) Program, local producers of
coffee, coconut and cocoa occupied five
of the 57 booths at the Trade Expo, with Susan Bakani from Artisan Culture, interests a visitor PNG PM Peter O’Neill inspects PNG spices on display
two of the booths dedicated to promoting with a carved walking stick. Photo: Anette Sete at the trade show. Photo: Anette Sete
Papua New Guinea handicrafts. and increase agricultural export revenue New Guinea for the Australia-Papua New
In addition to showcasing their prod- as well as improving sustainable domestic Guinea Business Forum and Trade Expo.
ucts, the businesses interacted with supply. The forum and trade show were held at
around 400 delegates from Australia, PHAMA’s country manager in Papua the new Stanley International Hotel and
Papua New Guinea and New Zealand New Guinea, Sidney Suma said central to Suites in Port Moresby from May 14-16.
who were part of the two-day forum, as PHAMA’s approach was the promotion of The forum theme was ‘Navigating the
well as the many Port Moresby residents strong public and private partnerships to- Cycle: Creating Opportunities in Challeng-
who visited the booths. Susan Bakani wards export development. He added that ing Times’.
of Artisan Culture, who exhibited in the the Trade Expo is an excellent example of The forum is well established as a
handicraft booth, said she met many competing businesses working together major annual bilateral business meeting
visitors interested in her products and felt with government agencies to engage and between Australia and Papua New Guinea
the expo had given her an opportunity to promote Papua New Guinea products. and builds on the work of both councils
expand her network. The Australian Minister for Interna- over more than three decades. PHAMA
PHAMA’s support is part of its ongo- tional Development and the Pacific, Sena- program is an Australian Government
ing work to improve market access for tor Concetta Fierravanti-Wells had the op- initiative, co-funded by the New Zealand
Papua New Guinea industries which is in portunity to meet with some of the PHAMA Government.
line with the Government of Papua New producers during a tour of the expo. n Source: PHAMA
Guinea’s policy to promote agriculture Senator Fierravanti-Wells was in Papua
Trade delegation gives Vanuatu cocoa thumbs up

International chocolate producers inspect cocoa beans and the farms which the trade delegation visited in Vanuatu. Photos: Samantha Rina/ PHAMA
n From Page 17 was an opportunity to further promote mium buyers visiting us.
The labourers then sell the beans Vanuatu cocoa to the world. We’d like to get better prices for our
they harvest to the estate at VUV45 CGA works with member smallholders cocoa and that’s why we’re making
(AUD$0.537) per kilo. and processors as well as non-member every effort to improve our processes of
Cocoa is one of Vanuatu’s main smallholders in the supply chain. Its producing cocoa so we can secure better
exports, with more than 1,500 tonnes focus is on maintaining its export status markets.”
exported annually. 25 per cent of rural while exploring new opportunities to The trade team visited Vanuatu from
households in Vanuatu are involved improve cocoa driers, fermentation sys- April 18-21 and later travelled to the
in cocoa production which makes it an tems and cocoa genetics. Solomon Islands.
important cash crop. “The ball is now in our court and we - Samantha Rina is the communications officer
Cocoa Growers Association (CGA) intend to teach our people to produce for Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market
director Basile Malily said the trade visit quality cocoa so we can have more pre- Access ( PHAMA) Program.

18 Islands Business, May 2017