Madang town area is currently experiencing a shortage of betelnut supply， therefore the price of a nut is higher than it used to be.
A nut which used to sell for 20 toea is now selling at 50 toea, and those that used to be sold at 40-50 toea are now going for K1 at certain locations.
Despite the current surge in betelnut prices, those Madang town residents who have planted betelnut near their houses are having a good laugh because they are harvesting their nuts and selling the surplus to make good money.
One of these people is Tobby Kuka, in his mid-20s, who comes from Gembolg in the mountains of Chimbu Province.
Kuka, who currently resides in Madang town, has a fascinating story. In 2011, while he was a student at the Madang Technical College, he decided to plant betelnut on a piece of land he occupies at Sisiak, a suburb of Madang town.
This young man planted seven to nine seedlings within his block to adorn his yard, not for commercial purposes.
However, today, after almost five years, most of these betelnut trees have matured and are bearing fruits, while others are flowering.
Betelnut and coconuts are ornamental plants grown around houses in Madang so I wanted to do the same to show that I am in Madang, he said.
Tobby was full of joy when he made his first harvest on Sunday. He excitedly took the first big bunch he harvested to his work place to share with his colleagues and friends. He even teased his highlands colleagues to start planting betelnut around their houses.
“I’m so happy that now I will not have to spend money buying betelnuts. I have my own trees to harvest from to chew and the surplus I will sell at the market to supplement my income,” Tobby said.
Betelnut is highly sought after. Madang is currently experiencing betelnut fever and nearly every corner of the town has buyers lining their bags of betelnut to transport up to the highlands to sell.
Unofficially, betelnut has even determined the consumer price index (CIP) in PNG, because the demand for it is high amongst both the rural and the urban population.
Wholesale buyers of betelnut from the highlands are flocking to Madang to get their supply in bus and truckloads.
There are many tales of betelnut buyers travelling very long distances to find betelnut. Many had experienced problems and some had even lost their lives, both on land and at sea, just to find betelnut.