Cocoa farmers along the Teo-Buin to Sipotavai feeder roads in Tinputz area of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) will soon travel in comfort with their cocoa bags and other agriculture produce to the markets. 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 5.80km upgrade and sealing project is under the World Bank funding the Papua New Guinea Agriculture Commercialization and Diversification (PACD) Project Management Unit - Cocoa Component (Cocoa PMU), which operates 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. The K6.9 million road project was awarded to Raibro Construction Limited through tender by the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) Tendering Board. A contract was then 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 was, Cocoa PMU Project Manager, Mr. Kerina, who spoke on the Agriculture Feeder Roads as one of the components under the PACD project that 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. "Apart from the road project, there are three cocoa partnerships in AROB that involved a total of 1, 500 farmers and that the Bank will fund cocoa seedlings, tools, trainings to the farmers to plant cocoa and when the cocoa is ready, will then take it to the market.” “This will improve their lives that is the main object of the PACD project, and the roads are 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.” Meanwhile, on behalf of the ABG Government, ABG Chief Secretary, Mr Nanai thanked the World Bank, the PACD PMU and the Cocoa Board of PNG as well as the technical services to have been nominated to have this important road project. He expressed that this is a very significant occasion especially when tapping into this program where the government is not reaching in terms of rehabilitating feeder roads throughout AROB. “We are so grateful that the World Bank has seen our needs as a priority in terms of our farmers and this road will greatly help them in bringing their commodities to the outside world.” “This will be a real benefit for the communities, the government infrastructure and facilities and most importantly, the farmers.” 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. Furthermore, Nanai congratulated 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.