Meet Duwer Gamogo, Chairman of Kiram Cocoa Cooperative in the Trans Gogol LLG. Dewer is one of the hard-working farmers supplying Paradise Foods Limiteds, Queen Emma Chocolate plant. He is married with 4 children who are aged between 4 to 15 years old. 

Duwer was working for a company in Madang but unfortunately his income was not sufficient to meet his family’s needs. In 2006 he left his job and returned to the village where he planted 1 hectare of cocoa. He started harvesting in 2008 and saw how the money earned was able to meet his sons school fees as well as other family commitments. This first success pushed him to plant another 3 hectares. From this he was able to increase his production, save money and build his own fermentry and start drying his own cocoa rather than selling “wet beans”.  

Over the years he has continued to maintain his cocoa blocks and makes sure that he produces high quality cocoa beans. He is the highest supplier of cocoa in the Kiram Cooperative which supplies Madang Cocoa Company and Paradise Foods. The Kiram Cocoa Cooperative operates a total of 32 fermentrys with 104 farmers. Each of these farmers on average produce 9 bags of cocoa per month which earns them K3,500 during the flush period.

Duwer is extremely happy with the partnership between Kiram Cocoa Cooperative and Madang Cocoa Company since 2019. They are paid a fair price for their cocoa and aside from that they have received other benefits such as opening savings accounts with NCSL and Eda Supa where they can put money aside for future use. 

Knowing that MCCL supplies Paradise Foods is an even greater incentive for Duwer as he is very happy knowing that his cocoa beans are going to be turned into PNG’s very own chocolate and not just shipped out and mixed up with other inferior cocoa beans from other countries. He is proud to see Queen Emma Chocolate sold in stores in Madang, made from his cocoa beans. They are pleased to be working with a 100% Papua New Guinea owned company. He vows that Kiram Cocoa Cooperative will continue to work alongside MCCL and Paradise Foods Limited. This partnership has motivated Duwer to work hard on his cocoa block and he encourages others in his village to follow suite.

Paradise Foods is extremely proud to be buying local cocoa beans to support farmers like Duwer to improve their livelihoods and make a difference in their communities. Behind every farmer is a community that moves together, and we will be there on that journey with them.