BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE

COCONUT Day was recently celebrated at the Museum’s auditorium earlier this week, supported by a range of stalls showcasing various coconut products followed by an open forum.

Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock’s Permanent Secretary, Mr Jimi Saelea took the opportunity to enlighten the audience of how the coconut industry first made it’s mark in the country.

He said that coconut was the first plantation crop to devour Solomon Islands soil in the early 1990s by companies like Levers Pacific Plantations Ltd, Burns Philip and Company, Carpenter and Company and Fairymead Sugar Company.

Mr Saelea added that during those Protectorate days, copra was the primary product and main export commodity.

Moreover, he said that in the 1980s the transfer of coconut plantations from foreign ownership to local ownership took place but the business transfer deemed unsuccessful as it experienced a downfall due the latter’s failure to continue productivity maintenance.

In this case, Mr Saelea explained that the land purchase cooperative (LPCs) of the former plantations were not sustainable hence former coconut plantations in Isabel, Western Province, Guadalcanal, Makira/Ulawa and Central Province where in most cases coconuts are neither collected or processed remain unmanaged.

Adding fuel to the fire, is the RIPEL-Yandina saga, he said that this issue contributed immensely to the country’s decline in copra production.

In relation, Mr Saelea stressed that this was triggered by the absence of effort to bring back the plantations to optimum productivity.

However, all is not lost as he assured the audience of the government’s commitment in addressing the issue thus stated that the DCC government is doing its best to see the important asset rejuvenated back to its full productive capacity.

Flashing back to the copra historic outline, Mr Saelea mentioned that the pioneer crop took a turn in the 1990s, being processed into coconut oil by efforts to add value to copra citing that only large companies were producing the commodity at the time while small famers still tended to producing copra.

Furthermore, the country’s present day’s coconut industry just might be making history again as the Agriculture permanent secretary expressed that although copra is still being produced and exported, the option of replacing copra with high priced value added products with low volume is on the table.

Speaking of value added products, Mr Saelea stated that virgin coconut oil and other coconut products would eventually replace copra.

“The potential for the coconut industry to expand into downstream processing and value adding to capture niche markets is enormous.

“We should not be doing business as usual but concentrate on replanting of the senile plantations and address quality aspects in order to access premium prices for our coconut products.

“The challenges the coconut and oil palm industries faced by the CRB should not deter advancements and private sector investments in the coconut value chain.

“While addressing the CRB let us not lose sight of the fact that jobs are at stake as well as food security and livelihoods,” he said.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

PROSECUTION is yet to update court on the status of investigations into the case of an alleged rapist.

John Zoze of the Public Prosecution told the court that the matter was taken carriage of his colleague Prosecutor Elma Rizzu, and currently she is in Kirakira on a court circuit.

Mr Zoze said that he has no instruction and was unable to assist the court on the status of the investigation.

Meanwhile Principal Magistrate Fatimah Taeburi said the case was adjourned for prosecution to update court on the investigation but has failed to do so.

“It is a Prosecution’s case and all prosecutors should be updated on the status of the cases your office is taken carriage of,” Ms Taeburi said.

She told the prosecutor that he should have contacted the prosecutor in carriage before mentioning the case in court.

Defence Counsel Clifton Ruele said that he is still waiting on the prosecution as on the previous occasion the prosecutor in carriage of the case said that they are still to obtain additional statement from the victim and once that is completed, the defence will be opted for a shot form preliminary inquiry.

However since there was no instruction to assist the court regarding the investigation, Magistrate Taeburi adjourned the matter to October 10 and all required documents be filed on October 3 to the defence counsel.

The accused is further remanded in custody.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

PRINCIPAL Magistrate Tearo Beneteti has called on police prosecutors to stop disobeying orders of the court.

She made the comment following the delay of filing of documents by the police prosecution in relation to the case against Patterson Maesusuia.

The case was adjourned for filing of PTC documents and agreed facts on September 14, however, defence just only received the papers on Monday this week from prosecution.

Defence Lawyer confirmed to the court that he only received the document on Monday and already responded to the document just after he received them.

Ms Beneteti said if everybody abides by court orders the cases should progress smoothly rather than coming to court and asking for an adjournment.

She said that the cases should progress according to the law of Solomon Islands rather than delaying and denying the rights of the accused.

She said that “if the prosecution and defence always up to date with their files they will always be commended for their work but if you are not doing your work as the court expects you to, you will be told off by the court”.

The case against Maesusuia has been adjourned for next week for Pre-Trial-Conference and filing of PTC document on September 29.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

TWO young men aged 17 and 19 years were given jail sentences by the court yesterday.

Tom Gagame Junior and his juvenile co-accused faced a charge of larceny.

On September 11 this year Tom Gagame Jr and his co-accused stole SBD$10,000 and USD$5,000 at the Kukum area outside one of the shops there.

The two were arrested after a woman was seen changing US dollars at the Good Luck shop and was caught on CCTV; it was at that time the woman was approached and admitted that one of the accused gave her the money to do exchange for him.

The two accused when questioned by police in relation to the offence, admitted to committing the offence and told police that they used an instrument to open the victim’s car.

Principal Magistrate Augustine Aulanga in delivering his sentence said the offence of stealing is one of the criminal offences very much hated in the community of this country.

He described those people who steal as lazy people.

“It is also a shameful act especially when one used the money to feed himself or his family, knowing very well the money was obtained as a result of stealing,” Magistrate Aulanga said.

He said offenders are lucky Solomon Islands is lenient in its punishment for the crime, compared to some countries around the world where harsher penalties are paid.

Gagame Jr is sentenced to two years while the juvenile gets one year and six months.

From the court’s record police investigators were able to recover the shoes and the USD$4,500; USD$500 is still missing.

In regards to the SBD$10,000, only $700 was recovered.

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU
GIZO

WESTERN Province Premier Wayne Maepio has left for Indonesia in search of a ship for the province.

He is accompanied by his minister of finance Lester Huckle Saomasi, western province Maritime officer of SIMSA Gizo Wheatly Douglas and Mr Boroka.

A person familiar with the issue said the aim of the Western provincial government is to boost economic activities for the people in the rural areas.

“They will parch a vessel mainly for the surrounding Islands who didn’t access to services twice in a month.

“Most rural communities around the province were find difficulties in terms of shipping services. Therefore the provincial government decides to peaches a ship that will travel from Island to Island.

“Those Islands are Vella la Vella, Simbo, Ranonga, Kolombangara, Vonavona and Roviana Lagoon, Rendova and Marovo Lagoon.”

He said the shipping service will transport all the services straight to Noro rather than transport cocoa and copra to Honiara for export.

The team is expected to arrive back next month.

BY BEN BILUA

A leading Sri Lankan coconut specialist says there is still hope in the fight against the invasive Rhino Beetles.

In an inclusive interview with Island Sun Dr Priyantha Wijewardane, he said the issue of Rhino Beetle is still in a manageable stage with immediate action required.

He said one possible intervention is to remove all affected plants and burn them.

“We have experienced similar situation in our country back in 1980s and we manage to overthrow the threat using this strategy.

“The only way your country can win the battle against this Rhino Beetle is removing affected plants and burn them,” Dr Priyantha said.

He stressed there is a private company in the country who can provide alternative expertise and technology help address the incoming threat by Rhino Beetle.

However, Dr Priyantha said it is important for the government to take the lead – then stakeholders can support the implementation of any programme related to Rhino Beetles.

“Why I recommend the government to take lead is so that the government can provide financial support or seek assistance from donor partners to financially support such activities,” he said.

Dr Priyantha high recommend the government through responsible authorities mobilise programmes and activities now – before the Rhino beetles are out of control.