Papua New Guinea opens largest cocoa processing facility after $2.8 million upgrade
Paradise Foods expects upgraded machinery at its Queen Emma Chocolate factory in Port Moresby to double output. The investment is intended to keep more cocoa processing value inside Papua New Guinea while connecting Sepik farmers with a domestic buyer for higher-quality beans.
New machinery expected to double output
Papua New Guinea inaugurated expanded cocoa processing and chocolate-making capacity at the Queen Emma Chocolate factory in Port Moresby on 13 August 2026. Operated by Paradise Foods Limited, the facility is described by Scoop as the country’s largest cocoa processing plant and is intended to convert more domestically grown beans into cocoa ingredients and finished chocolate.
The upgrade comprises twelve types of machinery valued at USD 2.8 million. The equipment was supplied through the EU-STREIT PNG Programme, funded by the European Union and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Paradise Foods expects it to double output and support more consistent production at the quality standards required by specialty buyers.
Domestic processing raises the value of cocoa
The investment supports Papua New Guinea’s policy objective of increasing downstream processing. Prime Minister James Marape said the country earns three times more from processing cocoa domestically than from exporting the raw product. The expanded plant can produce both finished and semi-processed goods before the cocoa leaves the country, although no detailed capacity or export targets were disclosed.
For farmers, the commercial effect depends on quality premiums and reliable procurement. Under EU-STREIT PNG, cocoa groups in East and West Sepik have been linked directly with Queen Emma. They supply well-fermented, smoke-free dried beans, with deliveries reported in the tens of tonnes. A domestic processor that rewards quality can encourage investment in fermentation and drying while reducing losses from rejected consignments.
Farm-level investment supports factory supply
The processing expansion follows extensive work on cocoa production and post-harvest handling. The programme has planted 3.4 million pest-tolerant seedlings and rehabilitated 4,960 hectares of cocoa blocks, achieving a graft survival rate of 95%. It has trained about 19,400 cocoa farmers in areas including grafting, pest and disease management, climate-smart agriculture and post-harvest practices.
Infrastructure support includes upgrades to 500 cocoa dryers, the introduction of 100 solar combination dryers and plans for 120 storage facilities. The programme has also supported the formalisation and development of 363 cocoa agribusinesses. These measures address quality problems that previously limited access to premium markets and should help the factory secure a steadier supply of suitable beans.
Specialty markets offer the clearest route abroad
Paradise Foods has presented Papua New Guinean cocoa and chocolate at trade events in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, establishing contacts with specialty chocolate manufacturers and niche ingredient buyers. European Union Ambassador Erica Hasznos also identified premium European markets as a potential destination if producers and processors can maintain quality and consistency.
The wider EU-STREIT PNG initiative had reached 513,000 people, benefited 85,400 families, supported 700 farmer groups and trained 34,000 farmers across East and West Sepik as of June 2026. The Queen Emma investment now provides a commercial outlet for part of that farm-level support. Its lasting impact will depend on whether doubled factory output is matched by sustained demand and a dependable supply of premium-grade cocoa.
