Betelnut

Now, chief of Emergency, Doctor Sam Yokopua, Department of Health, has warned that betelnut chewing can cause sudden cardiac death.

This awareness comes after seeing numerous sudden deaths at the Port Moresby General Hospital Emergency Department (ED), most with the history of chewing betelnut and suddenly collapsing.

While this may come as a shock to many, Dr Yokopua gives a medical explanation of this cause.

Marape issued the warning after discovering a sink filled with betelnut spittle. This was at the first floor of Vulupindi Haus at Waigani, Port Moresby.

He said most times, we tend to blame the buai sellers for the rubbish and buai spit all over the place but evidence proves otherwise.

Marape further called on Secretary for Finance, Dr Ken Ngangan, to get tough on staff who chew during working hours and terminate them.

Minister Marape also went on social media and made a statement regarding this issue.

Loop PNG took to some main buai (betelnut) markets to check prices out and noted that buai has had a massive price drop!

A few months ago, a group of 5 to 6 buai was going for K10 and K20 but now, it has gone down to K2 and K5 at the main markets.

Some sellers at the main market said the green nuts are already here, meaning the green gold season has returned in the provinces! This also includes mustard (daka).

Manus’ acting Provincial Police Commander, senior inspector David Yapu made these comments when appealing to betelnut traders in the province to stop making the trip to Wewak for betelnut after three people were rescued between Manus and Wewak on Tuesday morning by an overseas container vessel.

The three rescued are 42-year-old John Passingan from New Hanover New Ireland Province, 23-year-old Aitape man Anis Ravia and 30-year-old Yoki Polihau from Lawes, Manus Province.

This time, there is a price surge due to the short supply of betelnut in the nation’s capital.

Loop PNG gathered from betelnut sellers that this shortage was due to supply from Central and Gulf provinces, being directed into the Highlands region from Port Moresby.

The local farmer stuffed and filled all his seven bags with wild palm nuts which were shaped and looked exactly like betelnut.

He then sold the bags for K200 per bag, got the cash of K1400, hoped back onto a boat and ran away back to his hamlet somewhere on the mainland of Bougainville.

A lot of people have condemned such behavior and say it is a shame to the whole of Bougainville and the matter should be reported to the police.

A concerned Bougainvillean, Julian Jaavi told Loop PNG that the ABG is thinking at last to generate income for itself.

“Highlanders have been coming all the way down here to the coast to buy our betelnut and go and make thousands up in the highlands,” Jaavi said.

“And they have been evading tax all these time ever since MV Chebu started making runs.

“We Bougainvilleans, would like to thank the member for Kokoda in the ABG Rodney Osioco for making this call to tax betelnut.

There is now a severe betelnut shortage in Morobe Province and in the Highlands and also here on Buka Island, and mothers are now depending on betelnut from Mainland Bougainville.

The betelnut being sold in Buka market and shipped to Lae are from the west coast areas of Kunua and Keriaka, big round nuts.

A boat owner who hails from the west coast area of Keriaka, Patrick Miaro told Loop PNG that his boat is now on hire every week by betelnut sellers.

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.

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