Cocoa farmers along the Teo-Buin to Sipotavai feeder roads in Tinputz area of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) will soon benefit from improved transportation for their cocoa and other agriculture produce to the markets, thanks to a infrastructure upgrade.

Road infrastructures are one of the top priority services linking people and basic essential goods and services and with good roads anything is possible.

The Teo-Buin Sipotavai 5.08km upgrade and sealing project is under the World Bank Funded Papua New Guinea Agriculture Commercialization and Diversification (PACD) Project Management Unit - Cocoa Component (Cocoa PMU) operating under the Cocoa Board of PNG.

The official awarding and signing of the contract were signed on the 16th of October 2024 at the Technical Services Conference in Tinputz, AROB.

The K6.9 million road project was awarded to Raibro Construction Limited through tender by the ABG Tendering Board. Contract was signed between the Cocoa Board of PNG through the PACD Project Management Unit and contractor Raibro Construction Limited.

Representing ABG was Chief Secretary Keanerth Nanai, Ralito Mitra on behalf of Raibro Construction Limited and PACD PMU-Cocoa Project Manager Roland Kerina.

Speaking during the signing event Cocoa PMU Project Manager Mr Kerina said Agriculture Feeder Roads is one of the components under the PACD project aims to improve access to value chains and markets for farmers through rehabilitation and maintenance of priority feeder roads, paths, or other small transport infrastructure that provides access to the PACD and PPAP partnership, smallholder farmers or out-growers.

Mr Kerina said a part from the road project there are three cocoa partnerships in AROB that involved 1500 farmers that the Bank will fund cocoa seedlings, tools, trainings to the farmers to plant cocoa and when the cocoa is ready, they take it to the market get income to improve their lives that is the main object of the PACD project, and the roads is attached to that so the farmers can have access to the market.

“We are happy today that in the long run in the process of awarding the contract, we say thank you to the Bougainville Tenders Board the process is now complete with the signing. Today signifies that it is a win-win situation for the more than 800 farmers or people in Tinputz.,” said Mr Kerina.

ABG Chief Secretary Mr Nanai thanked the World Bank, the PACD PMU and the Cocoa Board of PNG on behalf of the ABG Government and technical services to have been nominated to have this important road project.

He said this is a very significant occasion especially when they are tapping into this program where the government is not reaching in terms of rehabilitating feeder roads throughout AROB.

“We are so grateful that World Bank has seen our need has seen this as a priority in terms of our farmers and this road will greatly help our farmers in bringing their commodities to the outside world. This will be a real benefit for the communities, the government infrastructure and facilities to and most importantly the farmers bringing out their commodities to the outside world.”

He added that in AROB cocoa is a very important cash crop for them and this year alone the people have received so much from cocoa alone and putting a feeder road through the World Bank funded is a bonus in terms of complementing the cocoa farmers.

Mr Nanai congratulate Raibro for having successfully being awarded the contract commenting that Raibro has been doing a very good job throughout AROB and they are qualified and has brilliant performance record delivering quality work.