Gulf needs cocoa, vanilla

Letters

COCOA and vanilla are sustainable and viable cash crops that the people will be able to grow and benefit from.
The Gulf governor has embraceD the PPAP programme’s coffee component and allocated K1 million to rehabilitate organic coffee but has made no commitment to the rehabilitation of the cocoa
component.
Cocoa and vanilla need to be rehabilitated, these are projects we the people can do, we have the land and time to commit but we need appropriate political and administrative help.
A group from Aivau village in Vailala east of Ihu LLG is currently doing awareness on cocoa and vanilla rehabilitation in Ihu and Gulf central.
Another group is doing the same in Malalaua area. Cocoa and vanilla were introduced to gulf but were abandoned due to lack of appropriate support from the government and its
agents. We have used our own initiative and limited resources to conduct the first phase of the awareness program but were unable to cover the whole area due to lack of financial support.
We are determined and will push on with this viable program, we have covered the east side of the Vailala river all the way up to Pivo and then to Opao and Tairuma in Gulf central.
To the people of gulf, let’s not sit and wait for what the government can give us, let us do something for ourselves.
Cocoa and vanilla are economically viable projects that the people can be fully involved in and benefit from.

People’s Voice
Ihu, Gulf