Esa’ala ready for coconut revival

By LEMACH LAVARI
ESA’ALA in Milne Bay has partnered with Kokonas Indastri Koporesen (KIK) to revive coconut plantations in the district, according to the KIK.
KIK industry services general manager Alan Aku said the purpose of the agreement was to share resources, technical skills and technology to revive the coconut industry.
A memorandum of understanding was signed by Aku, KIK managing director Dr James Kaiulo, Esa’ala MP Davis Steven and acting district administrator Dimiki Doula at the KIK office in Port Moresby.
Steven said the district administration has allocated K300,000 for the project.
He said there is also an existing K500,000 funding that was set aside for seed capital for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs).
He said the SMEs will receive funding through recommendations from KIK.
The organisation will provide financial literacy programmes as well as crop management to local farmers and recommend groups for funding.
Aku said the MOU includes the implementation of three programmes: Market development and trade, replanting and biosecurity.
He said these programmes will ensure farmers start small busineses and develop products such as soap, oil, body lotion and other products that use coconut as a primary ingredient.
“The (coconut) industry has taken a new course. Since 2014 we started to produce high-value products. There are a few in supermarkets in Port Moresby and some have gone into Australia and New Zealand and even United Kingdom,” Aku said.
“For us it is about developing the SMEs. Bringing development right to our people. They process the products themselves and they earn value for their resource.”
He said the project in Esa’ala will take about three years before products are developed.
Steven said the SME feature of the programme was important for the district.
“It is a shift from copra which really is a colonial legacy. We are turning the focus to market demand. We look at what is marketable and rearrange our approach in the industry.”