Bryan, 33, already planning for retirement

By BRADLEY MARIORI
PUBLIC servant Bryan Waffi, 33, is already planning for his retirement.
He does not know when that will be but he is making sure he has something to fall back on at home when he leaves the civil service.
“I decided last year to purchase cocoa seedlings and go into cocoa farming at home because it is a productive way to sustain my livelihood after active service.”
Bryan is the legal services division director at the Department of Trade, Commerce and Industry. He graduated from the University of PNG with a law degree.
His wife is from East New Britain. They have a son and daughter.
Despite Bryan’s hectic work schedule, he has planted more than 300 cocoa trees on his land at Orori village just outside Mutzing station in Markham, Morobe. He hopes to start harvesting cocoa in the next two years.
Bryan knows some public servants struggle after they retire because they did not have anything planned, such as a business to sustain them. Some wisely set up small businesses while still in the workforce.

“ I decided last year to purchase cocoa seedlings and go into cocoa farming at home because it is a productive way to sustain my livelihood after active service.”

Bryan is choosing cocoa farming. He has 27 more years to go before reaching 60 – the retirement age. He still has a lot of time to extend his farm.
He is planning to increase the number of trees on his plot of land to 1000 as soon as it is cleared of bushes and shrubs.
“My family members back home are the ones behind the push to have a plot of cocoa. They are assisting me to clear the land and plant cocoa.”
His ambitious plan has even motivated other family members including his mother, a health officer at Mutzing station, to plant cocoa as well.
“She has 400 cocoa trees and counting. That is a good thing because the family can have another good source of income apart from the salary we receive at work.”
He sees potential in agriculture in the Markham Valley which needs to be taken advantage of to raise the standard of living and boost the economy of the district and province.
“Markham now is the leading cocoa producer in Morobe. So I am very much excited to be part of this growth in agro-business.”
He has chosen specifically the “German breed” of cocoa to plant on his farm because of its acclaimed unique flavor and taste.

Bryan wants to see more cocoa farmers in his village and nearby areas assisted to get the best return from their investment in cocoa farming.
“To empower them, the Markham District Development Authority must send technical officers to villages to register farmers as members of a cooperative society.”
He believes this will unite them into a group and sell their cocoa at the highest prices which they can collectively negotiate.
His advice to workers in the public and private sectors to start planning for the future.
“Identify something worthwhile to do while still in employment. Establish a small SME activity that will create income avenues for you and your family.”
He believes in proper planning and being prepared. For him, “cocoa is the way forward”.