Land owners of Kikori District in the Gulf Province have been encouraged to look into cocoa farming and see the development it has in their area.
Gas Resources PNGLNG Pipeline Ltd Director for Segment 7, Wauro Oumabe, was present at the launching of the new Computer lab, E-library, Wi-Fi and FODE at the Kikori Secondary School in Gulf Province.
“I’ve been thinking tomorrow oil and gas is going to be deflated, what is next? Where will landowners go? Where will our children go and our future generation? When oil and gas is deflated at least there is an option that will sustain and fall back on. I started with a cocoa project and I’ve been driving it,” he stated.
He acknowledged Mineral Resource Development Company for hoping on board with the cocoa project to drive the agenda.
Oumabe brought two board members to survey Kikori village and have an awareness take place for land owners.
“We will launch the cocoa project in Omati, and we will be driving the cocoa project aggressively now. I want to assure our landowners that from this cocoa project you will have money.
“I hear landowners are saying our directors are not working, we get rid of him. This is a sign of a director that is working, if a director is not working, this will not happen.
“I want to tell my landowners that your director is working and this is one of it, come July this year we are going to deliver K7million worth of projects, so by the need of this year you’ll see all the communities in PNGLNG Pipeline,” stated Oumabe.
MRDC managing director, Augustine Mano, acknowledged the cocoa project and said it was a good way to work with landowners in the case putting money into villagers’ pockets.