Cocoa seedlings for school

Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture (WGJV) has renewed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the Cocoa Board of Papua New Guinea to expand its cocoa support programme to assist the farmers in the project-impact areas.
The agreement signed last Friday, includes seven cocoa cooperatives and inclusion of the first school, Bumayong Lutheran Secondary School (BLSS), as the WGJV reaffirms its commitment to equipping the Morobe youth with cocoa farming skills and knowledge.
The school’s curriculum includes agriculture as a subject and will incorporate the value of cocoa farming and self-reliance to its students.
“So that’s why we started the agri-business to empower people, that they have an income stream as not everyone will have a job or a contract when the mine is fully permitted and eventually starts up,” said David Wissink, WGJV head of external relations and sustainable development.
He said the MoA was into its fifth year and had proven to be a successful model, working with key stakeholders to progress the cocoa industry in Morobe.
Also present at the signing ceremony was the minister for education, Lucas Dekena, who witnessed the cocoa tree seedling planting by students.
Dekena commended WGJV and the Cocoa Board of PNG for the valuable partnership, and emphasised to the students to take on these new skills and extend them beyond the school to enrich their communities.
Through the partnership, WGJV is supplying 500 cocoa seedlings to BLSS, and providing materials and technical support in partnership with the cocoa board PNG.