EU-STREIT PNG programme

14/08/2026

More Papua New Guinean cocoa will now become chocolate at home, keeping more of its value in the country.

The upgraded Queen Emma Chocolate factory in Port Moresby was officially inaugurated this week, with twelve types of new processing and chocolate-making machinery installed under an equipment investment of USD 2.8 million.

The upgrade expands what the country can make from its own quality beans, and gives cocoa farmers a domestic buyer that pays for quality.

Read the full story:

https://www.fao.org/in-action/eu-streit-png/news/detail/papua-new-guinea-inaugurates-largest-cocoa-processing-facility-eu-funding-fao-support/en

Funded by the European Union. Implemented by FAO through the EU-STREIT PNG programme, with Paradise Foods Limited’s Queen Emma Chocolate.



Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) United Nations in Papua New Guinea European Union in Papua New Guinea Queen Emma Chocolate

European Union investment through the EU-STREIT PNG Programme has modernised and expanded processing and chocolate-making capacity at Papua New Guinea's lead...

13/08/2026

The ribbon is cut. Papua New Guinea's largest cocoa processing facility is officially open.

The upgraded facility includes twelve types of new machinery provided through the EU-STREIT PNG programme. Dignitaries and guests toured production, processing, packaging and quality facilities to see PNG cocoa become PNG-made chocolate.

Cocoa farming groups from the Sepik and across the country now have a domestic buyer that pays for well-fermented, smoke-free beans, and more of the country's cocoa is processed here instead of leaving as raw product.

The investment strengthens demand for quality beans from cocoa farmers and drives the country's cocoa industry toward premium overseas markets.

Funded by the European Union. Implemented by FAO, with Paradise Foods Limited's Queen Emma Chocolate Company.



Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) United Nations in Papua New Guinea European Union in Papua New Guinea Queen Emma Chocolate

13/08/2026

From PNG cocoa farms to PNG-made chocolate.

The official inauguration of upgraded cocoa processing and chocolate-making capacity at PNG's leading chocolate maker is under way in Port Moresby. This is the country's largest cocoa processing facility.

New equipment, provided through the EU-STREIT PNG Programme, expands the plant's capacity to turn PNG cocoa into higher-value ingredients and finished chocolate, and strengthens demand for quality beans from cocoa farming groups in the Sepik.

With EU funding and FAO support, more chocolate is made here and more value stays at home.

Funded by the European Union. Implemented by FAO, with Paradise Foods Limited's Queen Emma Chocolate Company.



Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)European Union in Papua New GuineaUnited Nations in Papua New GuineaQueen Emma Chocolate

05/08/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1KHcQdzSJY/

🔄RECAP: Giving women and young people a stronger voice in PNG agriculture

On 29 and 30 July, representatives from government, the private sector, farmer groups, civil society and development partners met in Port Moresby for the Southern Regional Stakeholders Consultation Workshop.

It was the fourth and final regional consultation, following meetings in Momase, the Highlands and the New Guinea Islands. Together, the consultations have brought farmers, processors, entrepreneurs and other agriculture stakeholders into discussions on Papua New Guinea’s first National Women and Youth in Agriculture Policy.

The process also forms part of PNG’s activities for the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026.

Opening the workshop, FAO PNG Head of Office Dr Kachen Wongsathapornchai said:

💬 “As Papua New Guinea looks towards its next 50 years, women and young people must not simply participate in agricultural development. They must help lead it.”

Thank you to everyone who took part and contributed their experiences and ideas to the consultation process.

30/07/2026

𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 Y𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝘂𝗮 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗮’𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲! 🌾

Women and youth make up the majority of PNG’s rural workforce. They are central to our food security, marketing, and household welfare. Yet, they still face huge barriers to land, finance, technology, training, and markets.

To tackle these challenges, stakeholders gathered in Port Moresby on 29-30 July for the Southern Regional Stakeholders Consultation Workshop. This final regional meet focused on shaping PNG’s inaugural National Women and Youth in Agriculture Policy!

✨ 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀::
• Mainstream women and youth into agribusiness development.
• Strengthen institutional support for our farmers and agripreneurs.
• Align with PNG’s Medium-Term Development Plans (MTDP), Vision 2050, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

🗣️ 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀:
• FAO PNG Head of Office, Dr. Kachen Wongsathapornchai urges stakeholders to focus on practical, honest solutions that can work differently compared to the last 40 to 50 years.
• Secretary of the National Department of Agriculture, Dr. Sergie Bang assured full commitment from NDAL, confirming they are working to embed this policy directly into the Department's planning, budgeting, and performance frameworks.

🤝 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿
This milestone policy formulation is organized by the National Department of Agriculture and Livestock (NDAL) and its Women in Agriculture Development Unit (WiADU). It is supported with technical and financial assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) through the EU-STREIT PNG Programme.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁? A National Validation Workshop will soon bring everyone together to finalize and review the policy!



Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) United Nations in Papua New Guinea European Union in Papua New Guinea

22/07/2026

: 𝗧𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

The United Nations has declared 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF 2026) to spotlight the essential roles women play in global agrifood systems, raise awareness of the structural inequalities they face, and mobilize investments to close the gender gap in agriculture.

In Papua New Guinea, the FAO is committed to supporting women farmers in the Sepik region through its EU-STREIT PNG Programme and across the country through other initiatives.

To encourage everyone, including our local leaders and influencers, to mobilize, support and advocate for women’s empowerment and inclusion in agricultural development, this platform will share the success stories of determined women agripreneurs in the Sepik.

This quarter, we feature Ms Tina Savinio, another female champion agripreneur leading the Kandangapma Women’s Business Group in Angoram District of East Sepik Province.

Read Tina’s story here:
https://www.fao.org/in-action/eu-streit-png/news/detail/smoke-success-tina-savinio-fish-smoking-revolution-sepik-papua-new-guinea/en

Joint us to recognize, celebrate, and empower the women who form the backbone of agricultural systems in PNG!



Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) United Nations in Papua New Guinea European Union in Papua New Guinea

Tina Savinio, a dedicated member and leader of the Kandangapma Women's Business Group in Papua New Guinea, has transformed their fish smoking business with i...

17/07/2026

𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗸!

At a recent 2026 International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Regional Development Forum, the FAO-led EU-STREIT PNG Programme shared how digital tools are transforming rural farming in the Sepik region of Papua New Guinea.

Acting Programme Coordinator Dr Rabi Rasaily attended the Forum and presented virtually on the EU-STREIT PNG’s UN joint interventions on Digital Solutions (FAO, ITU, UNCDF) under Session 4: Building UN partnership to achieve World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) outcomes.

The UN Joint Programme since 2020 has supported 513,000 people and trained 34,000 farmers across the Cocoa, Vanilla, and Fisheries value chains.

To bridge the digital divide, the programme uses a threefold approach:

• Policy frameworks: Backing the national E-Agriculture Strategy.
• Digital Agriculture Services: Launching 21 Resource Centres with IT equipment.
• Digital Connectivity Skills: Connecting agripreneurs to e-learning and Financial Access Points.

Aligned with PNG's MTDP IV and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, this initiative is eradicating hunger, lowering poverty, and bringing "Smart Villages" to life!



Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) United Nations in Papua New Guinea ITU UN Capital Development Fund European Union in Papua New Guinea

16/07/2026

𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: 𝗡𝗲𝘄-𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗛𝘂𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗸 𝗡𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻!

Exciting times ahead for our local farming community! Renovation and expansion work on the East Sepik Provincial Division of Agriculture and Livestock (ESP-DAL) Training and Office Complex along Wharf Road in Wewak is moving smoothly towards the finish line.

Implemented by the FAO under the European Union-funded EU-STREIT PNG Programme, this upgraded 17m x 40m facility is rescheduled for completion before November 2026.

Building Inspectors from Building Board, Water PNG, PNG Fire Services and PNG Power conducted an inspection of the building during first week of this month to verify that all works are as per PNG Building Code Regulation and have issued Certificates for Practical Completion and Occupancy on the 8th of July.

Currently works are underway for a fully furnished Carpark, Security House as well as supply and installation of a 60KVA Backup Generator for the facility.

Here is what local agripreneurs, farmers, and stakeholders in the Sepik can look forward to:

🔹 A fully equipped training hall for 80 participants
🔹 Advanced audiovisual and IT equipment
🔹 Dedicated meeting rooms & enhanced office spaces
🔹 A central front desk to efficiently serve you!

This modern infrastructure will serve as a vital support centre to boost sustainable agriculture and rural livelihoods across the Sepik region.

Stay tuned for more updates as we approach the official opening!

For details, check these links:

EU-STREIT FB page:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1APVpjfVcf/

FAOPG Website:
https://www.fao.org/.../eu-streit-png-agricultural.../en



Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) United Nations in Papua New Guinea European Union in Papua New Guinea

15/07/2026

Cocoa is doing more than feeding export markets, it’s sending Sepik...

13/07/2026

https://youtu.be/Xpm0Q_fcxEE

Cocoa is doing more than feeding export markets, it’s sending Sepik...