Nursery aims to produce borer-free cocoa seedlings

THE Wames cocoa nursery station (WCNS) in Babuaf, Wampar in Huon Gulf, aims to supply cocoa pod borer-free seedlings to farmers.
The production scale is expected to double the size of the current production volume in Lower Watut and Morobe.
Station manager Michael Toliman said that the Wames nursery was a project of the Babuaf Development Ltd (BDL), the business arm of the Wale-Babuaf Landowners’ Association in Wafi.
He said the nursery was a cocoa bud-wood garden, and was supported by Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture (WGJV), the mine developer of the Wafi gold-copper project.
The bud-wood garden contains the 18 cocoa varieties being promoted by the Papua New Guinea Cocoa Board.
“We have four hectares of cocoa bud-wood garden and four hectares of galip nut garden,” Toliman said.
“On an average, a farmer with one hectare land will plant 676 cocoa trees that will earn him or her 23 bags at about 63.5kg a bag.”
With current price of K470 a bag in Lae, a farmer stands to earn K10,810 from 23 bags.
Toliman said that Wafi-Golpu had conducted a survey to identify the cash crop that could best enhance the economy in the four Babuaf villages of Kapumung, Wongkins, Wori and Mazim. Cocoa was selected.
“Babuaf cocoa cooperative is the result of the survey formed to work in line with the nine other Lower Watut villages that receive huge support from Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture,” he said.
The four Babuaf villages are located northwest of exploration licence 1105, the entry to the mining tunnel.
“They are landowners of Wafi, including Yanta and Hengambu, from Mumeng, Bulolo, and are permanent partners to Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture,” Toliman said.