Madang Province has entered into a partnership with Kokonas Indastri Koperesen (KIK) under the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, with a pending MOU/MOA to be signed.
This was highlighted at the recent launch of the Livestock Development Corporation MOU/MOA signing for downstream processing of livestock.
The signing of the agreements have been moved to a later date.
However, KIK Managing Director Alan Aku attended the event, and enlightened the people of Madang of the benefits this partnership brings.
Mr. Aku strengthened the Madang Governor’s statement to establish downstream processing.
“Coconut, we can do 103 products. Papua New Guinea only does five. Olsem na kokonas emi gat bikpla moni insait long displa komoditi. Out of the husk you can make two products, string and fertilizer and out of the coconut shell we can make barbeque coals and activated carbon. We want to add value to the coconut, that is why downstream processing is the way to go,” stated Mr. Aku.
He shared details of coconut downstream processing in Malaysia where the entire fruit was used – the husks, the kernel, water and shell.
“Don’t write off this commodity as it is very valuable. In Madang there are 47 coconut plantations with the majority of them in Sumkar District. You got 3.2 million coconut trees standing in Madang Province that is why coconut should be very important to you,” Mr Aku told all who turned up to listen.
The proposed site for the pilot downstream processing project is at Dilup coconut plantation along the North Coast. Madang Mill located in town is also set to be the first oil refinery plant in the country and anticipated to start refining Madang cooking oil by the end of the year.
Mr Aku urged farmers to start planting in order to feed the mills.
Madang Province is the third largest copra producing province in the country behind East New Britain and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. In Madang alone, the statistics given for the trading of coconuts to the Highlands region stands as 65, 000 nuts per month, meaning Madang supplies the Highlands market 800 000 dried nuts per year.
Papua New Guinea is one of the countries amongst five others that have the coconut disease.
“In Madang, for 15 years we have been battling the Bogia coconut syndrome,” said Mr Aku. “There is no cure or solution for this disease and as such can only manage it.
He said this has also created a partnership with the provincial government and KIK with the NAQIA Memorandum of Understanding yet to be signed for the Mano checkpoint, with K1.3 million set aside for roll out programs and awareness.
Aku urged the people of Madang to spread the word to continue cutting down coconuts bearing the Bogia disease to assist in minimizing its spreading. He urged them to visit the KIK office at Murunas to get two replacement seedling coconuts for one tree that is cut.