Morobe to commercialise nut

By PISAI GUMAR
MOROBE division of agriculture and livestock aims to commercialise the galip (Canarium Indicus) tree and nut as an alternate cash crop for lowland farmers.
Programme advisor Ken Elonaga said the two main cash crops farmers depended for income over time were cocoa for lowland and coffee for high altitude farmers.
“The galip is a source of food with high content of oil, protein, vitamin and minerals,” he said.
“It’s nutritious to human body, similarly as a wood, and if commercialised will create employment and income.”
Elonaga said Morobe DAL was implementing National Agriculture Research Institute’s (NARI) scientific and research findings on the galip nut.
He said DAL was working in partnership with Morobe government, Lae district and NARI Kerevat on a model galip nursery last September.
“Despite the existence of galip tree and nut, the ideology to commercialise is new,” Elonaga said.
“We are incorporating the programme into DAL’s extension as a commodity crop.
“The galip nursery will set a pace forward for more awareness and field expansion to benefit farmers as a source of food, wood, cash income and employment.”