Buai business ‘highly risky’

FERRYING betel nuts from Northern to Lae to sell is a highly risky business, says trader Norman Atota, from Yandari village in Sohe.
He said Northern traders had to go through a lot of difficulties, like price fluctuations, theft, and threats before they finally get to market.
“Sometimes our betel nuts get stolen from us in Lae while trading and other times we get robbed at sea between Oro and Lae,” Atota said.
“We spend about K2000 to hire a dinghy to transport our betel nuts and sometimes we don’t make any profit.”
Atota described the betel nut business as a “highly risky and unpredictable” and wants the provincial government to help the traders.
“I hope the provincial government of Oro and Morobe can consider our plight and support us. The sea between Oro and Lae is unsafe as there is lack of police patrols,” he said.