Vanilla streaming across the border

Letters

THE Papua New Guinea-Indonesia border trading post is at Batas, Wutung, about an hour’s drive west of Vanimo. It opens to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
If one happens to be there on one of those days, you will certainly see what concerned national leaders like East Sepik Governor and renowned vanilla farmer Allan Bird are talking about.
I can confirm Bird’s sentiments, who lately has been vocal about the need to regulate vanilla trade on the international border.
A huge amount of vanilla is leaving our shores for Jakarta and unless something is done immediately that trade will continue unchecked.
On the days when trading is done, vanilla in piles of 10, 20, and 60 kilogram bags flood through the border gates in huge quantities and sell like hot cakes within hours.
Apart from vanilla, other things like gold, masoia, rosewood, eaglewood and betel nut are sold across the border.
What the PNG spice industry should do is join forces with all the relevant stakeholders and adopt a collective strategy to consolidate and reinforce the ban so that the monitoring and surveillance of such activities become effective.
The industry, in consultation with the Investment Promotion Authority, must advice the importers named as recognised agents to give the local farmers a fair deal, next to or above what is being offered by the Indonesian traders at Batas.
Wutung is not the only gateway to Indonesia.
Over to you Allan Bird and Tony Wouwou.

Osbourne Terry Nandali
YSC Junction
Vanimo