Farmer, exec encourages cocoa growers

By PETER ESILA
MOROBE Primary Producers Cooperative Association (MPPCA) chairman Reuben Yapi embodies the spirit of dedication to the land.
Yapi diligently works amidst his cocoa trees, at a time when cocoa prices have soared to unprecedented heights.
His message to fellow Morobe farmers is to invest effort in their cocoa gardens.
“It’s more than just farming; it’s building a prosperous future for ourselves, for Morobe, and for Papua New Guinea,” he said.
He urged farmers to make the most of the high cocoa prices but added that care and attention needed to be part of the work.
“Ensure that throughout this year, you run cocoa as a business, in the long turn, you want to sustain yourself.
“This peak period is only temporary, due to problems in West Africa (main producer).”
He said it was an opportunity for PNG growers.
“Run cocoa as a business, make it sustainable, so that in good times and bad times, you will survive as a farmer.
“This is our season, production is picking up and prices are high.”
“Be consistent with your farming, ensure your blocks are clean, ensure that you have new planting materials and continually replace your cocoa trees,” he said.
“It is not too late, if you are a new farmer, continue to extend your farm, look around for better planting materials.
“Get your districts to be involved in nursery, it is quite expensive, I have tried to help farmers build smaller nurseries but the main problem we have is resources, the cost is high, so we are working within our means.
“You can’t ask for more.
“Let us be encouraged not to wait for high prices but maintain and extend your farms, so when opportunities like this come, we can still make the most out of it.
“Use the high price to build yourself, sustain yourself through continuous nursery and rehabilitation of your farm and experience the high pricing.
“Let us be encouraged not to wait whether the price is high or low, if you are a farmer, maintain and extend your farm, so that when opportunities like this come, we can still make the most out of it.
“At the moment, we are struggling to meet the market demand but this is the opportunity for Papua New Guineans, let’s put our heads down and concentrate on our farms,” Yapi said.