The world market price for cocoa is always good but it tends to double towards the end of the year. This creates more of an incentive for local farmers, as Bukawa Cocoa Farmer, Mr. Jeffrey Bomson explained. Speaking from his small cocoa block in Bukawa Village, Nawaeb District in the Morobe Province, Mr. Bomson said at this time of the year, he bags almost K900 for 63.5kg of cocoa. “This time of the year is not a high yield season, so farmers fetch a higher price for their produce.” This favorable condition is such a great motivator that Mr. Bomson has begun a nursery, to supply cocoa seedlings to the other villagers to start out their own cocoa blocks. He also plans to carry out a cocoa growing training course to encourage more villagers to get into cocoa farming. “If we can have about 100 cocoa farmers produce about 200kgs of cocoa each that will be sufficient to load up a container for export.” As well as starting a nursery, Mr. Bomson does research and experiments with different methods of producing the best dried cocoa beans for export. “From my own research, I have found that drying cocoa beans in the sun is more efficient then hot-air dried beans.” “I have experimented with this method of drying cocoa beans, and I have observed that it is less labour-intensive while producing the same quality of dried cocoa beans.” Based off of the basis of his research and experiments, through improved and smart production in a rural setting, the rural farmers can expect to export their own produce and make better returns, instead of selling to dried cocoa bean buyers for a lower price. “Yumi ken wokim (we can do it),” Mr. Bomson declared. “If the old ways of producing dried cocoa beans is not working out well, we need to look for better ways to do our work.” He said cocoa farming, being labour intensive, is a discouraging factor for the locals. However, through cooperation and new and improved cocoa farming techniques, they can streamline the process as well as increase their returns.