Officers attend KIK training

Division of primary industry officers from Morobe, East Sepik and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) underwent a one-week training facilitated by the East New Britain Kokonas Industry Koporesen (KIK) in Kokopo last week.
The training of trainers (TOT) was on white copra, coconut replanting and the coconut downstream processing products such as soap, oil and cookies.
Training facilitator and Kavieng KIK manager Byron Yawongi told participants that the coconut industry was a viable one despite its struggles over the years.
Yawongi said copra was still a worthwhile commodity and needed to have support from authorities and farmers to be given the means to develop it. “It is about bringing money to the people and challenge the officers to bring the knowledge and skills to reach their provinces so people can work together to see good results,” he said.
East Sepik KIK manger Allan Wawah, who attended the training, said Sepik was keen to follow ENB’s copra industry progress.
Wawah said he aimed to use the knowledge and skills gained to train local farmers on how to develop their copra products and maximise their earnings.
“East New Britain is an example to other provinces in terms of the coconut industry as more provinces are coming in to see and adapt what you are doing,” he said.