Pais helps drive cocoa industry

PAIS Silas is a young champion of Bougainville’s thriving cocoa industry.
He is employed as an extension officer by the PNG Cocoa Board in remote Buin, South Bougainville, to help grow the industry there.
Silas also looks after the 40,000-seedling capacity Central Nursery in Buin which distributes seedlings throughout South Bougainville.
South Bougainville, last year, produced about 6,000 tonnes or 50 per cent of Bougainville’s total production of 12,000 tonnes.
He is also involved in an Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (Aciar) project in 11 South Bougainville villages.
On May 15, Agriculture and Livestock Minister John Simon, South Bougainville MP Timothy Masiu, PNG Cocoa Board chief executive officer Boto Gaupu and other delegates visited the nursery.
Silas was pleased to show them around his garden.
“This is our Central nursery at Buin department of primary industry station,” he said.
“It has a capacity of 40,000.
“The memorandum of agreement was signed (between PNG Cocoa Board and South Bougainville development authority) in 2018 with actual work starting in 2019.”
Silas said 171 block holders in 11 villages were given 200 seedlings each for the first batch.
“We started with nearby villages and are now moving out to other villages.”
He said other nurseries would also be established in Torokina, Bana and Siwai.
“So far, 28,200 seedlings from this nursery have gone out, including to 11 budwood gardens with a capacity of 180 each,” he said.
“In the second batch, we have 30,000 seedlings, with another 3,800 being filled up as we speak and brought in this afternoon.
“In two months, we will have 40,000 seedlings ready to be distributed.”