Farmers happy

 COASTAL villages from Kobo to Sowara, in Morobe Patrol Post, Huon Gulf, are excited about their cocoa trees, which are nearing maturity.
Cocoa production in the area has been generally dormant in the past 10 years after the winding down of Bris Kanda Incorporated funded by New Zealand.
The farmers are excited to watch the trees starting to bear fruits, Hercules Bay cocoa project chairman Thaddeus Dina said.
He said at Bau village 35 farmers had mature trees ready to be harvested.
“More than 4,000 hybrid cocoa seedlings were supplied to them. Another 50 farmers still have their young trees in the nursery,” Dina said.
The project was started by former Huon Gulf MP Sasa Zibe to boost economic activities in rural areas.
Dina said Bris Kanda engaged officers from the Department of Pri­mary Industry to teach the farmers about cocoa seedlings, nursery, transplanting, field management, har­vesting, fermenting, drying, packing and selling.
“The quality beans come out from proper management of cocoa trees, fermenting and drying,” Dina said.