BY SAMIE WAIKORI
The Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration (MCILI) has reaffirmed its interest in the Bonale pineapple initiative, despite having limited direct involvement in the project over recent years.
The Bonale pineapple project, located in West Kwaio, Malaita Province, has remained one of the viable economic initiatives under consideration for several years. However, no significant action has been taken to unlock its full economic potential.
Speaking during the Committee of Supply debate in Parliament last week, the Minister for Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration, Hon. Harry Kuma, said several studies have been conducted on the Bonale initiative since 2016.
“Feasibility studies have been carried out on Bonale, including assessments on land use and other relevant aspects of the area.
“In 2019, when the USAID SCALE project came in, we expected it to provide funding, and we also hoped it would carry out further assessments,” he said.
However, the Minister noted that the outcomes of the studies were not encouraging, particularly in terms of projected pineapple production output.
“One major challenge is infrastructure. I hope that when the Bina Harbour project comes on stream, it will improve the feasibility of the proposed pineapple processing factory at Bonale,” he said.
Minister Kuma added that although the ministry has not been closely involved in the initiative, it recognises the importance of the proposed economic project.
“We will revisit this initiative. Its location is strategic, and pineapple production in the area is substantial. Therefore, we believe it should be considered in this year’s budget,” he said.
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