PNG man heads coconut community

 URON Neil Salum of Papua New Guinea is the new executive director of the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC).

Salum was sworn last Thursday at APCC’s head office in Jakarta, Indonesia, for a three-year term.

Salum was accompanied by Trade, Commerce and Industry secretary John Andrias in his capacity as national liaison officer for APCC, and Dr James Kaiulo, managing director of Kokonas Industri Koporesen as alternate NLO to witness the inauguration.

It is the first time in the 45-year history of APCC to have a citizen of a Pacific island country heading this top inter-government organisation responsible for promoting coconut-based farming, industries and products.

APCC has 18 coconut producing member countries accounting for more than 85-90% of world coconut production and exports of coconut products. 

The APCC member countries include Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Kiribati, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, PNG, the Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, Vanuatu and Vietnam. 

Jamaica and Kenya are associate member countries.

APCC aims to promote, coordinate and harmonise all activities of the coconut industry, which sustains lives of millions of small farmers.