Saturday May 1st 2021
by MALUM NALU
At Gurakor Village, in the Mumeng LLG of Bulolo, Morobe, villagers are taking to growing cocoa like never before.
Their interest has been ignited by a 20,000-seedling cocoa nursery set up in the village by the PNG Cocoa Board.
Seedlings are now being distributed to villagers in Gurakor and neighbouring villages, which are moving to cash in on the Marape Government’s Cocoa Price Support Programme – in which they receive K3 per kg of wet beans from the normal price of K1.40.
Gurakor women farmers Jocobet Paul and Helen Kilau are sitting in the nursery on the afternoon of Sunday, April 25th, 2021, when I visit with PNG Cocoa Board officers.
“We are happy that this nursery is now here to help us grow cocoa,” Paul tells me.
“We now have a means of earning income into the future.
“We women are all interested in growing cocoa, as a change from working in the garden carrying vegetables.
“Cocoa will also help us with ongoing problems of school fees, project fees and lunch money for our children.
“I thank the Cocoa Board for bringing this service right to our doorstep.”
Kilau says the people are fully supportive of the nursery being built on their land.
“We are happy that this nursery is here because it will help us with issues of paying school fees for our children, and others,” she says.
“We are happy and are ready to progress into growing cocoa as this will give us money.”
Patrick Tai, Chairman of the local Veyangabu Association of Gurakor, says the nursery is the answer to the prayers of the Gurakor community.
“We have heard of the changes that cocoa is bringing to the lifestyles of people around the country,” he says.
“My people had been subsistence farmers and had not realised the importance of cocoa.
“We asked PNG Cocoa Board officers to build a nursery here to help bring about changes to the lives of our people.”
Tai recalls that last October, PNG Cocoa Board CEO, Boto Gaupu, visited Gurakor and told the people that they needed to see changes in their lives.
“He (Gaupu) told the people that the PNG Cocoa Board would set up a nursery to distribute cocoa seedlings to them,” he says.
“Officers of the PNG Cocoa Board came to the village with posts, nets and timber.
“Together we put up this nursery.”
Tai says the people of Gurakor had been hearing stories from around the country of how cocoa was changing the lives of people.
“We wanted to be like them,” he adds.
Gurakor is near the site of the Wafi-Golpu mine and there have been ongoing court disputes over land, which has taken up a lot of time, with no benefits to the people.
“Nothing has come out and the mine is still not open,” Tai says.
“We wanted something to sustain us on a daily basis.
“Many times, we asked our MP, our LLG presidents and councillors for assistance with school fees for our children – to no avail.
“The Gurakor community sees this nursery as a gamechanger in our lives.
“Once we start growing cocoa, our children will no longer ask us parents for money, as they can go to the cocoa gardens, harvest and sell.”
Tai thanked the Government of Prime Minister Hon. James Marape for bringing about changes in rural areas such as Gurakor.
“Since the Marape Government took office, there have been many changes,” he adds.
“I also thank the Agriculture Minister Hon. John Simon.
“A big thank you also to PNG Cocoa Board CEO, Boto Gaupu, who sent his officers to be with us and build this nursery.
“He has done so much for Morobe Province – in Morobe Patrol Post, Finschhafen, Markham, Bulolo.
“When there is a good Government, the blessings flow down to us people in the villages.
“I see this as a big change and a blessing from God.”
Tai says he came from a life of crime in the past but now wants to make a change for the better.
“God has blessed this Government, God has blessed Prime Minister Hon. James Marape, God has blessed Agriculture Minister Hon. John Simon, and God has blessed PNG Cocoa Board CEO Boto Gaupu and his officers on the ground,” he adds.
“Our life is in this cocoa.
“I will enjoy my life, I will die, and my children will continue to enjoy their lives.
“I thank God for this blessing.”