High-Level European Diplomats Hail Impact of EU-STREIT PNG Programme on Rural Livelihoods in Sepik, Papua New Guinea

Wewak, Papua New Guinea – Senior diplomats from the European Union and Denmark have commended the tangible progress achieved in the Sepik region following a high-level field mission to observe the impact of the EU-STREIT PNG Programme.

H.E. Erika Hasznos, European Union Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, and H.E. Sten Frimodt Nielsen, Danish Ambassador to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea and ASEAN, visited key Programme implementation sites to witness how EU support is revitalizing cocoa, vanilla and fisheries value chains.

The mission highlighted the Programme’s contribution to empowering rural communities through improved farming and processing practices, rehabilitated infrastructure, and stronger agribusiness development.

Revitalising Local Agriculture 

During their visit to the Hambraure community, a pioneering farming group supported by the Programme, the delegation toured rehabilitated cocoa and vanilla production sites and equipment.

“I am very glad to see that this project has worked here,” said Ambassador Hasznos. “Witnessing the community’s commitment to continue growing cocoa and vanilla is a source of great happiness for us.”

In Marik community, the diplomats met Ms Nancy Fale, a prominent vanilla producer and businesswoman, who briefed them on the recovery of vanilla production since the introduction of the EU-STREIT Programme.

Through support by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) under the EU-STREIT PNG Programme, local farmers have adopted improved husbandry and post-harvest handling practices. These improvements have resulted in premium-quality beans that meet international standards and have helped stabilise income streams for rural households.

Inspiration and Innovation 

Ambassador Nielsen described the visit as a privilege and noted that the Programme’s influence extends beyond higher agricultural yields.

“The programme has had a true impact, not only through better crops but also by planting seeds of spirit, inspiration and innovation that communities, especially youth and women, now carry forward,” he said.

Investing in Infrastructure and Sustainability 

The delegation also visited critical infrastructure restored under the Programme including the Yawasoro–Nienwanjie Road (7.43 km), which now connects more than 2,200 rural households to markets, extension services and essential services such as health and education in Wewak.  

They also toured the Hawaiin Cocoa Nursery, a training and extension facility operated by Cocoa Board of PNG that has been upgraded through Programme support to provide quality planting material and hands-on training on cocoa production and processing best practices and innovations to farmers across the Sepik region.

During a wrap-up briefing with the EU-STREIT PNG Management Team and the Provincial Division of Agriculture and Livestock, a key partner to the Programme at the local level, discussions focused on long-term sustainability of the programme achievements. As the Programme enters its final phase, stakeholders are increasingly focused on strengthening local ownership, consolidating gains and enhancing international market linkages for remote communities. 

Reflecting on this high-level visit, Mr Ali Said Yesuf, the Programme Coordinator for the EU-STREIT PNG, emphasized: “The Programme has worked closely with provincial stakeholders including the Cocoa Board, DAL, and Department of Works & Highways for the past five years, achieving significant results in transforming cocoa and vanilla value chains in the Greater Sepik region. Continued government and private sector support in extension services and market linkages is essential to deepen impact and ensure long-term sustainability.”

About the EU-STREIT PNG Programme

The EU-STREIT PNG Programme is the European Union’s largest grant-funded initiative under the EU Global Gateway Strategy in Papua New Guinea. 

The Programme is implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

It focuses on boosting sustainable, inclusive rural development by enhancing returns and opportunities in the cocoa, vanilla and fisheries value chains (FAO), and by strengthening key enablers, including digital inclusion (ITU and FAO), digital financial services (UNCDF), sustainable, climate-resilient transport infrastructure (ILO) and renewable-energy solutions (UNDP and FAO). It directly benefits rural communities in East and West Sepik Provinces, helping farmers, women and youth build more resilient livelihoods.  

Cocoa

Vanilla