East Sepik farmers get polybags to boost cocoa production

EAST Sepik is expecting a boost in its cocoa production over the next few years translating into benefits for the local economy and improving living standards, Governor Allan Bird says.
He delivered 390,000 polybags to cocoa farmers in East Sepik.
A further 20,000 polybags were presented to farmers in neighbouring West Sepik.
A polybag is a plastic bag made of thin, flexible, plastic film, non-woven fabric, or plastic textile.
The bags can be used to store and transport goods such as food, powders, ice, magazines, chemicals and waste.
Bird said cocoa was a K700 billion market worldwide.
“It (world market) can absorb an additional 200,000 tons if someone produces it.”
He said prior to 2017, Sepik had a seedling capacity of 200,000 per year with 138,000 farmers needing seedlings.
The cost of one seedling was K5.
Less than 50 people knew how to produce budded clones and many nurseries were neglected.
“In the last three years we increased our budwood nurseries to more than 500,” Birds said.
“Our seedling capacity is now two million seedlings per year. We have trained several thousand budders.
“This year we will be distributing polybags and budding tape.
“We want to bring the cost of a seedling down to less than K1.”