Association launched to focus on eaglewood

EAGLEWOOD is a commodity that can be developed in East New Britain to add to the local economy and join other crops produced in the province such as cocoa, copra, coffee, balsa wood, oil palm and other spices.
Eaglewood, also called agarwood, gaharu or aloeswood, is known around the world for its highly valuable perfume and incense, and Papua New Guinea is one of the last remaining frontiers for natural areas of these trees.
The Southeast Asia species is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
It is threatened by habitat loss.
Kokopo witnessed the official launch the East New Britain Eaglewood Association, a new entity that will focus on the eaglewood tree in the province.
The project will be piloted in the Kokopo-Vunamami urban local level government (KVULLG) with training on eaglewood to be carried in the LLG’s 20 wards.
The launching also included training of eagle wood, coconut and chilly which will kick start this week at Karavia and will continue to the other wards in the KVULLG and Kokopo.