BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
THE Chief Field Officer of the Agriculture Division in Western Province has commended the Cocoa and Coconut Revolving Fund (CCRF) for the significant impact it’s having on agricultural activities and rural livelihoods.
Sipuru Rove said the fund introduced by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL), has reignited interest in coconut and cocoa farming; prompting plantation owners to clean up and rejuvenate their neglected plots.
“The fund is working. People are going back to their plantations, cleaning up their land and putting in the work. It’s not about skyrocketing prices it’s about opportunity,” Rove told Island Sun.
He highlighted that in the village, even children are being involved in the harvesting of coconuts.
“In one of the villages we visited, parents have built small copra dryers beside their kitchens. Children collect ten coconuts each day and their parents help them dry the nuts. After some days, they fill a 10kg bag and sell it for $40. That’s big money in these communities,” he explained.
Rove added that the fund is also helping stimulate local economies, with visible cash flow in rural areas.
He said of ten buyers who participated in the program in Western Province, nine are coconut buyers and one is a cocoa buyer.
Rove says the program should be further supported and expanded as it has a positive impact on rural communities.
“This is the kind of program that directly empowers people. It puts tools, resources and motivation in the hands of farmers. We are seeing real, positive change,” he said.
The Cocoa and Coconut Revolving Fund is a government initiative aimed at revitalizing the country’s agriculture sector by supporting key players in the value chain and increasing production.
There is a total of 57 recipients from this fund across the country, including farmers, traders and exporters.
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