News and Public Notices

Local cocoa farmers in the Taonita-Tinputz Constituency, North Bougainville, will now benefit from the newly completed 6.8-kilometre Tehobuin to Sipotavai Cocoa Feeder Road, officially opened yesterday.

The road is expected to improve access to markets for more than 2,000 people in the Tehobuin and Sipotavai communities, who currently produce an estimated 180 metric tonnes of cocoa annually.

The project was delivered through a partnership effort with the National Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL) and the ABG Department of Primary Industry (DPI), through the Papua New Guinea Agriculture Commercialization and Diversification (PACD) Project, with funding support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).  

The feeder road rehabilitation is one of three roads funded under Component 2 of the PACD Project, aimed at addressing critical market access challenges for cocoa farmers in the Tinputz District.

ABG Member for Taonita-Tinputz Constituency, Hon. David Braun Vatavi, described the project as a major milestone for the area.

“Last five decades the road was bare road now the road is graded with 2 kilometres of road cemented,” he said.

The scope of works included the construction of 4.8 kilometres of road base pavement, 2 kilometres of concrete pavement on steep sections, two concrete causeway crossings over existing rivers, and improvements to drainage systems to ensure all-weather access for farmers.

The road was constructed by Raibro Construction Limited at a cost of K8.039 million over a 15-month period.

The official opening was held at the Sipotavai Elementary School junction and attended by National Member for North Bougainville Hon. Francesca Semoso, ABG Member Hon. David Braun Vatavi, ABG DPI Chief Compliance Officer Dr James Butubu, Deputy Secretary for National DAL and PACD Project Representative Francis Daink, PACD Cocoa Project Manager Dr John Moxon, along with other government officials and members of the local community.

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