IN the quiet village of Wanwara, nestled in the Turubu Inland Local Level Government (LLG) area of Wewak District, East Sepik Province, a young man named Baltazar Winjowa shares a trajectory of hope and transformation.
At 33 years old, Baltazar has seen his cocoa production journey evolve from struggle to success, not just for him, but for his entire community.
His story highlights how the EU-STREIT PNG Programme has empowered Baltazar and his fellow farmers to revive and reclaim their cocoa farms and improve their livelihoods.
Baltazar’s connection to cocoa farming runs deep. He grew up helping his father, the chairman of the Juar Cocoa Cooperative Society, which represents five villages: Manwara, Yamben, Jimeru, Mambe, and Putanda.
These cooperative covers management of hundreds of hectares of cocoa in total.
“I’ve been involved in cocoa farming for over eight years now,” Baltazar explains.
But like many other farmers in the region, the road to success was troubled with challenges, particularly from the cocoa pod borer (CPB) pest, which devastated their crops.
“We had problems like cocoa pod borer affecting our cocoa for years and many abandoned their blocks,” he recalls.
“The CPB affected almost 80% of cocoa trees, and the remaining 20% was not much better. The infestation made it hard to keep going, and without proper pest control, their production dropped significantly. We just stopped working in our cocoa blocks,” Baltazar admits.
Before the EU-STREIT PNG Programme stepped in, Baltazar’s cocoa yields from his own blocks were low, and the income was barely enough to sustain his family.
“Between 2018 and 2019, I produced 3,600 kilograms of wet beans, and after drying, I ended up with low number of dried bean bags. The price wasn’t much—between PGK 395 to 495 per bag. I mainly bought food items like rice and tinned fish.”
In 2021, thing began to change when the EU-STREIT PNG Programme reached Baltazar’s community. So far, the Programme provided essential resources, including polybags, shed cloths, CPB-tolerant cocoa seedlings, wheelbarrows, block management tools, and gumboots.
Most importantly, the farmers received a solar combination dryer that transformed the quality of their cocoa. The biggest support was the “solar combination dryer helping us produce quality dried beans.
“I want to thank STREIT for this solar combination dryer,” Baltazar says.
Alongside the materials, the EU-STREIT PNG Programme also provided critical training for farmers.
Baltazar attended bud grafting training, learned proper pruning techniques, and studied cocoa fermentation and processing.
“I learned how to conduct pruning and bud grafting,” he explains.
“I train other farmers in my village now and show them how to manage their cocoa blocks.”
The training and tools started paying off. In the first half of this year alone, Baltazar harvested 7,300 kilograms of wet beans, which yielded around 40 bags of dried beans.
“The trees just started bearing fruit, and I’m seeing production increase,” he says.
More importantly, CPB infestation is no longer a concern.
“With the support from STREIT, we are harvesting beans with no CPB infestation. All my farmers are seeing good, white beans. There’s zero CPB now.”
The improved quality of Baltazar’s cocoa not only boost production, but it opened new doors for him and his fellow farmers.
For the first time, with the support of the Programme, Baltazar had the chance to send his cocoa beans to Queen Emma Chocolate factory in Port Moresby, a major cocoa processor at national level, where they were evaluated for quality.
“STREIT came to my village and sent samples of my cocoa to Queen Emma. I got a WhatsApp message saying I have high-quality cocoa,” Baltazar recalls with pride.
This success also led to an exciting opportunity to meet an overseas buyer from New Zealand.
“STREIT helped me attend a factory presentation with Queen Emma,” he says.
“It was my first time to see the factory and officers from Queen Emma. I also met the lady [a premium buyer] from New Zealand. She said If I pass the quality standard, she will visit my village to sign a contract to supply one tonne of dried cocoa beans per year.”
This potential contract has the power to bring consistent higher income to Baltazar’s community as they will sale cocoa with higher prices.
Before the EU-STREIT PNG Programme, Baltazar and other local farmers could only sell their beans to local buyers in Wewak town, East Sepik Provincial Capital.
Now, they are preparing to supply niche markets overseas, a major step forward in expanding their business and improving their income.
“I returned and told my farmers, and they were very excited that I met an overseas buyer,” Baltazar shares.
For Baltazar, this journey has transformed not only his business but also his family’s life. With the money he’s earned from cocoa, he’s been able to provide more for his family.
“Now, I travel to Wewak town and buy food like chicken for our meals. I can afford clothes, medicine, and even ice cream for my children,” he says with a smile.
His eldest daughter is currently in grade 9 at Yarapos Secondary School, and Baltazar is committed to supporting her education.
“My formal education stopped at grade eight (8), and my wife went as far as grade nine (9) because of school fee problems,” he explains.
“I tell my daughter, I’ve come this far, but I want you to go further. I want her to go to business college and return to run our cocoa farming as a business.”
Baltazar’s wife has been his committed partner throughout their cocoa farming journey, sharing in both the challenges and the successes.
“My wife is always on my side supporting me,” Baltazar says with deep appreciation.
“I trained her to help with pruning, bud grafting, cleaning the cocoa blocks, and even harvesting. When I’m away, she takes charge of the farm.”
Her involvement has been vital in maintaining their cocoa production, and together they’ve worked tirelessly to improve their livelihoods.
Now, as they begin to see the fruits of their labour, his wife “is very happy with the changes,” Baltazar adds with a smile, adding “She’s proud of what we’ve achieved together.”
Looking ahead, Baltazar has big plans for his future.
“Now that I’m getting some good money, my hopes for the future are to build a permanent home and install solar power kit,” he says.
He also envisions expanding his cocoa venture and continuing to train other farmers in his community.
Baltazar’s success story is a testament to the transformative power of the EU-STREIT PNG Programme.
His journey from battling pests and low income to becoming a successful cocoa farmer and mentor for others highlights the Programme’s impact on the livelihoods and well-being of communities in Papua New Guinea.
“All the farmers are happy with the work we’re doing with the support of STREIT,” Baltazar says.
And with his vision for the future, it’s clear that this is only the beginning.
The EU-STREIT PNG, being implemented as a United Nations Joint Programme (by FAO, ILO, ITU, UNCDF and UNDP), is the European Union’s largest grant-funded initiative in the country.
It focuses on boosting sustainable and inclusive economic development in rural areas. This is achieved by enhancing economic returns and opportunities within cocoa, vanilla, and fisheries value chains.
Additionally, the Programme strengthens and improves the efficiency of value chain enablers, including access to ICT and digital financial services.
It also supports the development of sustainable, climate-resilient transport infrastructures and renewable energy solutions. The Programme benefits two provinces: East Sepik and West Sepik.
