Grown by the Bougainville Department of Primary Industries at its research station in Kubu, near Buka, the samples were submitted to the Cocoa of Excellence 2021 competition in Paris, where it was judged alongside 235 cocoa beans. The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) has been working in Bougainville to improve cocoa production and quality, market access and healthy living for smallholder farmers. The project, ‘Developing the cocoa value chain in Bougainville’ is led by the University of Sydney, working in partnership with the Cocoa Board of PNG, Bougainville Department of Primary Industries and the University of Natural Resources and Environment. The project team have been instrumental in achieving a global focus on Bougainville cocoa. ACIAR Research Program Manager for Horticulture, Irene Kernot, acknowledged the project team for improving the quality of cocoa and the livelihoods of rural farmers. ‘The project team successfully initiated the Bougainville Chocolate Festival and a chocolate competition, held annually since 2016. The festivals introduced international judges to evaluate locally produced cocoa and provided much needed feedback to growers aimed at improving quality. ‘The festival, together with improved varieties, farming techniques and other interventions by the project, is improving the level of cocoa quality that is now catching the attention of the world,’ Ms Kernot said. Project Coordinator in Bougainville, James Bututu, who submitted the samples, said the results from this round of judging already show that the quality of Bougainville cocoa is improving. He acknowledged the research and said the partnership has paved the way for Bougainville cocoa to be recognised globally, ultimately making cocoa farming more profitable to smallholder farmers. ‘This is the first time the Department of Primary Industries submitted samples to the competition under our own name with support from our partners. We look forward to the final judging in October,’ Mr Butubu said. The Cocoa of Excellence competition is held every two years where cocoa samples from around the world are judged using a lengthy and rigorous elimination process. The competition is co-ordinated by the Rome-based Alliance of Biodiversity International and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture from South America. The program aims to explore and develop cocoa that will add diversity to the varieties available to producers worldwide and ensure the industry can prosper through better genetics and good quality and unique flavour profiles. The Bougainville cocoa value chain project is one of five supported through the Transformative Agriculture and Development Program – a six-year multidisciplinary research program that aims to improve the livelihoods of rural men and women in Papua New Guinea.

A 30 minute boat ride off Kavieng town lies Nusalava Island, which is located in the Tigak group of Islands in the Tikana LLG. The Island which is home to several thousand Islanders also accommodates a primary school and a United Church mission ground. The primary school has been taking in students from the nearby islands since anyone can remember. While there is eagerness to learn this has been met with challenges because the commute mostly by canoes is an arduous journey on a daily basis for the students who’ve had to wake up as early as 3 am just to make it to school on time. Hearing the cries of his people New Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan handed over a funding of K100,000 two years ago for the Primary school to utilize on vital infrastructure for the school. Finally on the 22nd of September the New Ireland Government led by Governor Sir Julius Chan, Deputy Sammy Missen, PEC members and Education CEO Apelis Benson set foot on the Island to attend the official opening of not one but five impact projects. The delegation was gracefully welcomed by the Nusalava and New Hanover Islanders who lined the picturesque jetty leading up to the school. There was no shortage of happy choruses and dances dedicated to the Government of the day. The impact projects included two student dormitories allowing for students from the nearby Islands to be accommodated on the school grounds, a school hall and two teachers houses. “Nusalava you have put to shame schools in town who only came up with one project with the same amount of funding we gave to you. Liklik money tasol bigpla wok yupla makim. I see a group of proud people because you have achieved so much with the little you have. You are the roots of this generation,” said Sir J. Head teacher Kepas Otnil said it was no easy feat because of the remoteness of the Island. He also presented his acquittal report to Sir J before going on with his remarks. “ We had to use coral to make the cement foundation and the cost of boat hire is very expensive but standing here I am very proud that together with my school board and parents and citizens contributions we were able to complete these projects,” said Otnil. CEO for education Benson Apelis congratulated the school for being the first in New Ireland to produce so many projects using the limited funding as well as submitting its acquittal report on the day of the official opening. He emphasized  that the students were the biggest priority of the province. “Pull strong, because there is something greater out there waiting for you.” Projects officer Jenny Tamela conveyed that the Tigak Islands have received a total of over K1.18 million worth of projects through the New Ireland Government. Upon the delegations departure the locals lined up all the way down to the jetty making sure they shook hands with Sir J and his team. It was definitely a milestone achievement worth celebrating.

Two European man who travelled across the Pacific ocean on a yacht and arrived illegally in Papua New Guinea on waters off Port Moresby were detained by Immigration officers at Bomana Immigration Centre (BIC) yesterday. The two men departed Bora-bora Island northwest of Tahiti in French Polynesia 66 days ago and landed at Loloata Island outside Port Moresby over the weekend. PNG Authorities were unaware of their arrival. Chief Migration Officer Mr Stanis Hulahau received a tipoff over the weekend that a suspected yacht was anchored at Loloata Island and assigned Immigration officers to carry out checks. ICA Intelligence and Enforcement officers with members of Police, Transport and Customs who boarded the yacht identified both men unlawfully in the country. The 48 year old boat owner from France and his Belgian engineer, 48, were brought into Immigration detention after formal interview were done. According to initial reports, both men had no intent to visit PNG but had experience mechanical faults at sea and sailed into PNG waters. However, initial reports indicated that they switched off the boat's transponder in Vanuatu waters about 200 nautical miles from the Solomon Islands boarder. They arrived in Port Moresby a month after the transponder was switched off. CMO Hulahau says both men have Indonesian visas but because they have no entry permits (visa) to enter PNG they are being detained at BIC until a full joint investigation is complete. “We have procedures for entry either by air, sea or through land and now we have new requirements with Covid-19 protocols and we expect everyone to comply and notify authorities of their entry" says Mr Hulahau. Mr Hulahau says the yacht is registered in Tahiti and while both men are detained at BIC PNG Authorities would carryout a full investigation into this unlawful entry.

The three leading provinces with COVID-19 infections on a daily basis; West Sepik, Eastern Highlands and the Western Province will be going into an imminent lockdown as the country braces itself for a COVID-19 surge. Acting Prime Minister Soroi Eoe made the announcement this afternoon following a whole day meeting at the National Control Center on strategies and new measures that will be announced tomorrow. Eoe said the new measures will not restrict people’s movement from one place to another, however there will be some form of control to address the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country. “What we have discussed today is to basically look at strategies on how we address this issue without having to restrict people’s rights.” The Acting Prime Minister said the new measures and lockdown strategies will focus on the three provinces, but they are also monitoring other provinces that are also experiencing an increase on daily COVID-19 infections. “We are also looking at Enga and monitoring the situation up there including Morobe and NCD.” “Whatever measures that we announce tomorrow basically looks at allowing people’s rights and movements but also pointing out to our people that they need to take precautionary measures.” “If need be, we can put in certain restrictions in terms of travelling to other provinces especially the three provinces; WSP, EHP and Western Province.” Eoe said the increase in the number of cases happened following independence celebrations all over the country with people moving from one province to another during the independence week. The new measures for the three provinces and the rest of the country will be made known tomorrow.

In the spirit of celebrating PNG’s 46th Independence, FairPrice has given away two return tickets to any destination within PNG. A celebration in PNG means coming together to bond, share food, company and culture. It is important that families get a chance to spend time together, especially in these challenging times. “We are a PNG Family Business, owned and run by Papua New Guineans. Independence Day celebrations are important to us” says FairPrice Director, Christopher Elphick. So in partnership with PNG Air, FairPrice launched a social media photo competition for a chance to win two return tickets to any destination in PNG. The three week nationwide competition saw hundreds of entries from around the country. It welcomed the display of all of PNGs cultures and tradition to emphasize our pride and identity in this month of our Independence. “We are thrilled with the engagement from our community in the spirit of this competition. Congratulations to our winner, thank you to PNG Air and everyone who participated.

Trukai Industries Limited has come on board to show their support to the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football Federation. The company officially has signed on a K60,000 sponsorship supporting three tournaments that are set to run over the next two months. The sponsorship will cover the Pacific Australia Sports National Women’s Championship, the National Affiliate Leagues Championships and the KPHL National Schools Rugby League Championships. The KPHL National Schools Rugby League Championships starts today, Wednesday 22nd September and ends on Saturday 26th September. Games will be telecasted LIVE on EMTV with a delayed broadcast on Sunday. Both the Pacific Australia Sports National Women’s Championship and the National Affiliate Leagues Championships take place from October 17th to the 24th. This support continues to show Trukai's strong commitment to sports development in PNG. Should you require more information kindly contact the Trukai Public Relations and Communications Manager, Andrea Tagamasau on 300 0000 or via email ATagamasau@trukai.com.pg

47 aid posts across Oro Province will receive solar fridges for vaccine storage which will boost their readiness to deliver COVID-19 vaccinations. With funding from the PNG-Australia Partnership, Australian NGO KTF (Kokoda Track Foundation) is working alongside the Northern Provincial Health Authority to supply and install the solar fridges to every operating aid post in the province, regardless of how remote their location. Solar fridges are an essential element of the province’s vaccination plan, enabling remote aid posts without access to electricity to store vaccines when they become available, as KTF CEO, Dr Genevieve Nelson explains. “Vaccination is critical to PNG’s future, as it is for all countries, allowing us to live more safely with not only COVID-19, but many other endemic diseases. Having a cold-storage solution is vital for health workers in rural and remote locations to safely keep and administer vaccinations against the virus, as well as many scheduled childhood vaccines supplied by the PHA, including measles, polio and tetanus. They will also be able to store other medicines that require refrigeration, like insulin for treating diabetes, some eye drops and types of antibiotics. “Our ‘Light for Life’ project is helping health workers by providing solar fridges for vaccine storage, as well as solar power and water tanks for their health facilities, plus a range of tools to help boost vaccination uptake, including training and awareness materials. Our goal is help to get as many vaccines into arms as possible when supplies become available in the far corners of Oro Province.” In conjunction with solar fridge delivery, the project sees KTF partnering with the National Department of Health to support Community Health Worker upskilling on COVID-19 vaccine administration and messaging, providing awareness materials and PPE for the 60 rural health workers attending training in Popondetta. Health patrols, led by a qualified nurse, will also head into remote communities across the greater Kokoda catchment region to raise awareness in readiness. “Although we regularly support 15 aid posts across the Kokoda region, we are delighted to be able to scale this project to include all rural health facilities across the province, thanks to the support of the PNG-Australia Partnership through the Pawarim Komuniti Off-grid Electrification Program. Provincial coverage is something we would never have dreamed of, and is yet another example of the true partnership between PNG and Australia, involving PNG National and Provincial Health Authorities, the Australian Government and KTF.” Light for Life has seen the majority of the 47 fridges already installed and training and awareness activities have commenced, preparing Oro health workers for a vaccination program delivering vaccines supplied by the international community, including Australia.

NEW YORK: Prime Minister James Marape, MP arrived in New York on Tuesday (21/09/21) to attend in person the 76th United Nations General Assembly. The Prime Minister will be delivering Papua New Guinea's country statement on Friday, 24th September 2021 at 3:30pm and can be viewed virtually on the UN Web TV, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Besides the main dialogue and debate, Prime Minister Marape has also been invited to attend, virtually, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's) Moment 2021. This is a high-level meeting at head-of-state and head-of-government level. He will then attend the bilateral meeting between himself and the Hon. Alok Sharma, United Kingdom UNFCCC COP26 President Designate to discuss the COP26 Climate Change Agenda. The Prime Minister has attended a virtual round table meeting today (Tuesday 21st, 2021 – New York Time) between the United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Change Secretary John Kerry and other Pacific Island Leaders, where he is making an intervention on climate change and the impact of COVID-19 on the economy. Prime Minister Marape will also take the opportunity to thank the United States for rejoining the Paris Climate Accord and he will further thank the United States for its on-going support to Papua New Guinea during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tomorrow, Wednesday 22nd September 2021, together with 38 other Pacific Island leaders, he will attend the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Leaders’ Summit, which will also be held virtually. On Thursday 23rd September 2021, he will attend the UN Food Systems Summit and on Friday 24th September 2021, he will attend a high-level dialogue on Energy 2021. The Prime Minister will also be having bilateral meetings on the margins of the 75th UNGA.

Prime Minister James Marape, said Papua New Guinea has experienced the impacts of climate change, therefore, he as the leader is qualified to talk about climate change and to call on industrialized nations to contribute more towards reduction of carbon emissions and the conservation of existing rainforest, including the rainforest in Papua New Guinea. The Prime Minister made this comment when meeting with the Hon. Alok Sharma, the United Kingdom's UNFCCC COP 26 President Designate, to discuss the COP26 Climate Change Agenda. Prime Minister Marape said although Papua New Guinea has a large land mass, we also have close to 600 outlying islands that are being affected by sea water level rise and sallination as a direct result of climate change. "We were the first country in the world to relocate climate change refugees from the Catarat islands. That qualifies me to talk about climate change and its impacts in communities,” he said. "Papua New Guinea, including the 15 other smaller Island States in the Pacific, do not emit a lot of carbon into the atmosphere and yet they are paying the price. "Relocating the people of Kiribati, who are slowly losing their land to sea water to another land mass that is not a part of their own country is a plan that they are against as well. Their island is sinking but the people have chosen to stay. The world must do something. We should also cite the Caterets as well.” Prime Minister Marape made known his intention to ask industrialized nations, to do more and to work together with communities affected by deforestation and climate change to find a viable and sustainable way forward to achieve the SDG's as well as the Paris Accord, without compromising the development aspirations of developing country, especially the smaller Island States. "Since the Kyoto Agreement and now the Paris Accord, industrialized countries have never tried to push hard to implement the agendas agreed to in the agreements. "Apart from reducing carbon emissions, industrial countries should invest some money in technology that will reclaim land that is being lost to the sea. "Papua New Guinea has one of the last standing rainforests in the world and if you want me to conserve it, create an opportunity for my people and country to grow without affecting the conservation of the rainforest. "Our rainforest is the oxygen factory of the world, therefore, it is a global asset. To conserve, we must all work together to find a balance that will preserve the rainforest while improving livelihood." Data taken from the Global Forest Watch Forest Monitoring program has revealed that only 36 per cent of the Earth's 14.6 million square kilometers of tropical rainforest remain intact. The balance of 64 per cent is either degraded or completely gone.

‘Strength and conditioning within PNG itself is a very new concept. For the [cricket] players, it’s definitely brought up their standard and it has no doubt changed the game.’ Meet the Head of Strength & Conditioning (S&C) for Cricket PNG, Meiling Choong. Making history as the first woman appointed to coach an international men’s cricket team (in the S&C department), Meiling has certainly developed her love for this sport science. Initially coaching the Lewas she’s now been in the role for three years and is part of the support team for the PNG Barramundis. ‘The best part about my job is having that opportunity to bring about good change, and creating special relationships with our athletes.’ ‘What I do is focus on holistic development. So we balance out life-work, it’s not just physical fitness.’ For anyone curios enough to know what it takes to be part of the support team to an international team, she says, three must-have qualities are good communication skills, accountability and diligence. The World Cup tour will be Meiling’s first with the Barras as the S&C Coach, so she’s enthusiastically looking to learn as much as she can. ‘I’m going to be a sponge and soak up as much as I can, especially at a World Cup level. I’m going there with an open mind to learn as much as I can and hopefully bring back something new for the team moving forward,’ she says. Optimistic about the men’s performance in the upcoming World Cup, Meiling says a lot of hard work and training have been put into preparing for this moment. Explaining that the team trained throughout the pandemic, not at all sure if the T20 Men’s World Cup was ever eventuating, but now is their time to “go out with a bang”. ‘This is the time for them [Barras] to go out and give their best. And we support them all the way!’

The Coalition of Parliamentarians to end Gender Based Violence and the Special Parliamentary Committee on GBV offered its congratulations to the Minister for Community Development Wake Goi and Minister for Inter Government Affairs Pila Niningi for the opening of the District Community Development Centre at Walume, Immbongu District of Southern Highlands Province last Friday 17th September, 2021. The opening was attended by Coalition members, Hon. Jelta Wong, Minister for Health and Hon. Powes Parkop, Governor for NCD. The new Centre is a significant step in rolling out the national strategy to end GBV. It is the first time in the country that there will be a GBV safe house to provide refuge and support GBV survivors at the district level. On behalf of the Coalition that he Co-Chairs, Governor Parkop stated: “We welcome this development in Immbongu as one of the aims of the Coalition of Parliamentarians is to develop the capacity to deal with GBV at the provincial and district levels. We call on all Open Members of parliament to collaborate with the Department for Community Development, Youth and Religion to build such centres and capacities in your own districts.” Governor Parkop reflected that the national GBV strategy does not have to wait for the National Government to set up the national secretariat and allocate resources to roll out the strategy. Districts and provinces can also create and adopt their own district and provincial strategies and build up their own capacities to start taking on the challenge at their level. The GBV Strategic Plan and the District Community Development Centre are official Government Policies that complement each other. They have to be allocated funding both at national and district level. The Coalition and the GBV Parliamentary Committee Members look forward to working with Minister Niningi and supporting him to get the Centre at Walume operational as soon as possible. The Coalition also looks forward to working with Minister Goi to roll out the District Community Development Centre Policy to the 88 remaining districts in the country.

19-year-old PNG Muay Thai fighter Joshua Lester is set to fight for the Destiny Muay Thai Super Featherweight Belt on the 30th October 2021 at the Mansfield Tavern in Brisbane, Australia. Lester will be fighting against Michael Lamrock from the Fight Firm Thai Boxing Club and this will be his eighth fight so far since joining Muay Thai Boxing in 2019 winning six of his fights and only losing one. “If I win this fight, I will become the Destiny Super Featherweight Champion,” Joshua said. Joshua has got back into training slowly as he is still recovering from his last fight on the 11th September 2021 at the Banana Bender Pub in Sunshine Coast. “I am about six weeks out from my fight and I have started doing cardio and just trying to get my fitness up as I know it is going to be a very hard training camp but I am ready”, Joshua added. Mr Lester added that if he wins this fight, he would be so happy because it will take him a step closer in achieving his dreams of fighting for the Muay Thai World Title.