The United Nations Development Programme is considering helping farmers in the Papua New Guinea province of Bougainville to set up co-operatives so they can better access markets.
The UNDP's programme officer for Bougainville, Dirk Wagener, says their Bougainville Planning and Community Support Programme is aimed at capacity building, continuing the peace process and fostering economic development.
The programme has been in development for two years and should be fully in place by the end of this year.
Dirk Wagener says the UNDP wants to help small businesses develop and one idea is to develop marketing systems for farmers.
"We were, for example, requested to look into the possibility of developing co-operatives, to give farmers one voice and a better market position and help them bring their cocoa or copra or whatever they produce, to market."
The UNDP's programme officer for Bougainville, Dirk Wagener,
