Masiu strengthens cocoa deal with Tsiamalili
By Tanya Lahies
The South Bougainville MP Hon. Timothy Masiu has a dream of bringing Bougainville back to its original top rank in the cocoa industry in Papua New Guinea.
It is the Hon Timothy Masiu’s dream to plant a million cocoa seedlings in the South Region. He has started off by partnering with a genuine local and registered supplier called the Soroken Plantation based at Hahon Island in the Mahari Constituency, Buka.
As a believer in the cocoa cash crop, the politician himself went to schools and practically lived his life based on money earned from the trees. He now dreams of rebuilding the South Region with this cash crop because he believes it is an important source of income and does not cause any damage to the environment.
“This may take four years, but I am pleased to say that this is a starting point,” a happy Masiu remarked and he also acknowledged Soroken Plantation owners Peter Jnr. and Joyce Tsiamalili with their family and employees for their partnership and tireless efforts in maintaining the operation of the Soroken cocoa plantation.
Hon. Masiu then acknowledged the late Peter Tsiamaili Snr. for his foresight in taking ownership of the plantation when it was first put on tender by the Westpac bank as the plantation now plays a very big part of his dream of reviving the cocoa industry.
Masiu has also strengthened his partnership with the Cocoa Board PNG when he signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Chief Executive Officer, Mr Boto Gaupu at Buin early this year. He now officially has two licenses for nursery and freight. He is also pushing for an export license to sell overseas.
Meanwhile, an office and house is already set in Buin and soon there would be two staffs from the Cocoa Board PNG mending the office, said Masiu.
While work is progressing in the plantation, Mr Tsiamalili led the Cocoa Board PNG staffs with Mr Gaupu along with the Hon Masiu to the Soroken Plantation on Friday. This was to officiate the partnership between both parties and to formalize the agreement between Soroken Plantation, the Cocoa Board and the Hon. Masiu, he said.
According to the Soroken Plantation owner Mr Peter Tsiamalili Jnr. they would be supplying free cocoa seedlings totaling up to half a million to Hon Masiu for planting in the South Region. This he said, is done with the little funding that was recieved from the National Government through the PNG Cocoa Copra Institute (PNGCCI) specifically for maintaining of the plantation.
The seedlings would be shipped from Hahon Island and would be distributed at specific locations in the South Region mainly in the Buin, Bana, Siwai and Torokina districts.
Mr Tsiamalili reiterated that the seedlings would to be given freely without any cost.
The transporting of the cocoa seedlings is made possible by the newly purchased boat -Miss Smaita Hipon- that the Honourable Regional Member for South, Masiu had bought last year.
Currently, there is a problem with the ship’s engine but when we get them fixed, we will start delivering cocoa seedlings to Buin, Bana, Siwai and Torokina Districts, Masiu said.
But there was good news for the Soroken Plantation. CEO of the Cocoa Board of Papua New Guinea, Mr Boto Gaupu was pleased to announce that a cheque payment totaling of K150, 000.00 had been made to guarantee that work proceeded.
A delighted Mr Gaupu said that a K50, 000.00 cheque was budgeted and allocated for the maintenance of the cocoa nursery and K100, 000.00 was allocated for the managing of the ship to distribute the seedlings.
“Hopefully, in the next four years, we can deliver the one million seeds for planting in the South Region,” he added.
The Soroken Plantation stretches out to 12 hectares in length with a total of 13 blocks. There are 13 employees who have become part of the plantation in 2016 working as volunteers and who remain committed to their job.
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