Coconut vital cash crop

THE coconut is Papua New Guinea’s fourth most significant cash crop in terms of its economic importance, according to Kokonas Indastri Koporesen (Kik).
An estimated 35 per cent of total households, or 2.6 million people (based on 2011 PNG National Census figures), are engaged in its cultivation and production.
One focus area of Kik is to help smallholder coconut farmers increase their production levels.
Kik managing director Alan Aku said: “Through the funding support we receive from the National Government, we are able to implement our programme activities, with our focus areas on: coconut replanting/new planting programme, downstream processing and value addition of coconut, research and development on pest and diseases; agronomy and farming systems; and breeding.
“Currently, we have coconut development officers (CDO) in nine of 14 coconut-growing provinces working closely with the provincial division of Agriculture and Livestock and district extension officers, implementing our programme activities.”
Aku said Kik had seen an increase in interest from farmers to get into coconut growing and production through awareness sessions conducted on coconut replanting, downstream processing and white copra production.
“Recently, our officers in partnership with local leaders of Murukanam village in Madang established a coconut model farm to demonstrate coconut farming systems and seed nut nursery for seedling distribution to local farmers,” he said.
Murukanam landowner Peter Makan said they were happy to allocate a portion of their land to Kik for a resource centre so the community could have access to information and materials enable them to improve and expand our coconut farms.
Kik industry services general manager Alfred Nongkas said the area would be a one-stop shop for farmers.
“It will develop into a resource centre that will be used for training and awareness, a coconut nursery for the replanting programme, coconut-based farming systems for intercropping food crops, cash crops such as vanilla and cocoa and livestock like cattle which the farmer can learn, develop and manage,” he said.
“With the introduction of downstream processing of high value coconut products and the shift to white copra production, a shed will also be built at the site for storage of white copra produced by the farmers and will be managed by the Kik subsidiary, Coconut Resources Ltd.”
Nongkas said a coconut sugar farm would be set up, which would be used to conduct training on coconut sugar production.
“This partnership with the local farmers has also paved the way for other stakeholders like MiBank, who have and will continue to open bank accounts for our coconut farmers. They will also run financial literacy programmes to help our coconut farmers manage the money they get from white copra production and sale.”
Kik is also embarking on collaborative work with other partners like the National Agriculture Research Institute (Nari) and Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA) who will facilitate post-harvest and marketing training for farmers, who under the coconut-based farming systems will intercrop coconut with food crops.