‘Wewak can have own coffee mill’

By GYNNIE KERO
COPRA production in the Wewak district, East Sepik, is being revived and the province is now qualified to have own mill, Wewak Commodity Ltd manager Francis Warren said.
He said the determination of local farmer in boosting copra production had attracted interest from many others in the islands and West Coast areas.
Coconuts were brought into the province by late Sir Peter Simogun after serving as a plantation worker during the colonial days.
But when the Copra Marketing Board left the province 20 years ago most people moved away from copra production.
Warren said copra production was one way “we can improve and boost the economy in the province”.
He said coconuts, unlike other tree crops, “are non-seasonal as it comes daily and does not require intensive labour in looking after it”.
He said he needed more help from the national government and had presented a proposal through the Wewak MP requesting to have a mill for downstream processing in the province.
The district has more than 10 million coconut trees and can supply 5,000 bags a week and all by-products are to be exported direct to overseas markets.
Wewak joint district planning and budget priorities committee showed much support towards the company and local farmers by presenting a cheque of K100,000 for the rehabilitation of 10 cylions, or copra dryers.