Cocoa farmers who are members of the Puksak community based organisation in Usino local level government council area in Madang province received a special gift for Christmas.
The gift is aimed to support their livelihood.
The Christmas gift came in form of a box of cocoa seeds from World Vision in Madang. These hybrid cocoa seeds are tolerant to the destructive insect pest called cocoa pod borer, which had devastated most of the cocoa trees in their area thus affecting their income earning opportunities.
Agriculture field assistant with World Vision, Samuel Masawa said the villagers are so grateful to the very worthwhile assistance by World Vision. The seeds were purchased from the PNG Cocoa Coconut Institute at Murunas along the north coast road in Madang.
He said the farmers were deprived of income earning opportunities since most of their cocoa gardens were affected by the CPB.
“For over four years the Puksak villagers did not work sell cocoa beans to earn an income because most of their gardens were destroyed by the CPB,
“The gift by World Vision was special and would help revive cocoa production in Puksak and Usino LLG,” Masawa said.
He said the seeds would be planted in polythene bags at a 3000 seedlings cocoa nursery build in their area. After the seedlings are developed from the seeds they would distribute to all the farmers who cocoa gardens had been affected,
Picture: Members of Puksak CBO in Usino happily showing their box of cocoa seeds from CCI