The Provincial Member and Governor for Madang Province, Ramsey Pariwa, has announced a K100,000 financial support to a new Bauri Cocoa Seed Bank situated adjacent to the Madang-Ramu Highway in Astrolabe Bay Local Level Government (LLG) of Rai Coast district.
The Governor's undertaking to assisting this largest cocoa nursery establishment in PNG stamps a collaborative partnership forged between the Madang Provincial Government, PNG Cocoa Board and the nickel/cobalt mine developer Ramu NiCo Management (MCC) Limited.
Mr. Pariwa stated that his eagerness to support the new cocoa seed bank is mainly because what the mine developer has done is aligned to the Madang Provincial Government Integrated Development Plan 2023-2027, which places agriculture and cocoa development program as a priority.
Furthermore, Governor Pariwa acknowledged that it is the same people both the Madang Provincial Government and the developer Ramu NiCo are serving so it is fitting that collaborative approach in cocoa development is pursued.
Governor Pariwa explained that last year the Madang Provincial Government allocated K1million for cocoa nursery roll-out in the province. This year he has allocated K2 million to continue on the cocoa development program in the province.
Mr. Pariwa also urged youths from villages situated along the Madang-Ramu Highway to make their hands dirty by planting cocoa, instead of standing along the road and stealing from the traveling public.
"You will earn clean money once you make your hands dirty from tilling the land," Mr. Pariwa encouraged.
Ramu NiCo's Community Affairs Department General Manager, Eric Kuman, in his opening address explained that one day the mine will close, and people will return to their land to work in agriculture. That is why everyone came together and chose cocoa as the main cash crop after mining. With proper funding, other groups can also grow cocoa and even venture into chocolate production, which will help sustain the people and landowners.
The Bauri Cocoa Seed Bank is funded from K50,000 contribution each from the landowner associations in the Ramu NiCo project impact area, namely Kurumbukari LOA, Inland Pipeline LOA, Coastal Pipeline LOA and Basamuk LOA.
Mr. Kuman said he is convinced cocoa will drive economic sustainability and provide livelihoods for the impact communities after the lifespan of the mine ends.
He added that the partnership between government, developers, and the people will change communities for the better.
"This is the way forward to ensure cocoa becomes a lasting foundation for our economy and our people’s future," Mr. Kuman said.
The Chairman of the Coastal Pipeline Landowners Association, Steven Saud, who spoke on behalf of the four LOAs thanked the developer Ramu NiCo, the Madang Provincial Government and the local people of Bauri for joining hands and working together for the betterment of the local communities, wards, districts, and province as a whole.
