PM Marape pleased at revival of coconut industry

OCTOBER 26TH 2021

Prime Minister Hon. James Marape says he is encouraged to learn that the coconut industry is making a comeback around the world.

He said this today when opening the 57th International Coconut Community (ICC) Session & Ministerial Meeting at APEC Haus.

The three-day virtual meeting of the 20 ICC member countries, from October 26-28, is being chaired by Papua New Guinea’s Agriculture and Livestock Minister, Hon. John Simon.

“In recent years, in my role as Prime Minister, I am encouraged to learn that there is a comeback in the coconut business,” PM Marape said.

“Some of you call it ‘coconut revolution’.

“I’d like to, at this juncture, place my country’s full support in the ‘coconut revolution’ or ‘coconut comeback’.”

PM Marape said the coconut industry, over the last 15 years, had seen an increasing demand for high-value, edible products, on the global consumer market.

“Let me say, from the outset, that I am no expert in coconuts but I am an expert in trying to find solutions for human needs,” he said.

“As I look into the future – with COVID-19, with lifestyle-related diseases, with an increased appetite for organic food, with an increased demand for well-balanced nutrition – coconuts will emerge in the future as a premium, sought-after, food for life.

“Coconut trees will become trees for life.”

PM Marape encouraged all member countries of ICC to work in partnership, especially producing countries along the Equatorial Belt, which had the natural environment for coconuts.

“I’d like to encourage all member nations to use technology to ensure that the coconut industry thrives and grows,” he said.

“You collaborate and exchange useful knowledge, you cooperate on bio-security issues of the coconut industry, and you partner in coconut research and development to ensure that this ‘tree of life’ is secured and sustained and it serves humanity into the future.”

PM Marape also called for trade barriers to be lifted so there was a free flow of coconuts onto the world market.

“The Government of Papua New Guinea stands ready to support ICC in whatever ways we can,” he said.

PM Marape said PNG had the biggest landmass in the Pacific of 462,000 square-kilometres of land which could be used to grow coconuts.

“We bring to you a country that will become a powerhouse in the coconut business,” he said.

“My Government has invested directly in ensuring that we have price support, so that when commodity prices go down, we have a price mechanism which will support growers.

“This is so that we maintain production of coconuts, both at the grassroots level, individual level as well as at the planation level.

“We’re resuscitating our plantations that are run down, we’re deliberately making interventions to ensure that the coconut industry, as well as other like cocoa and coffee, are given great support.”

PM Marape thank ICC for helping PNG to establish a world-class coconut gene bank for the South Pacific to be located at Punipuni at Milne Bay.

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