by Edwin Fidelis – EM TV, Kokopo
East New Britain province has been urged to uphold some of their finest cash crops like cocoa, coconut and Balsa despite the outset of crop diseases.
The deputy prime minister and East New Britain regional member, Leo Dion said East New Britain is being outplayed by other provinces in cash crop farming.
He said the province must continue to maintain its statues as the leaders of cash crop production in the country.
The story of cocoa farming and copra in East New Britain province is one that has a very long history.
But in early year 2000, the inception of plan diseases such as the Cocoa Pod Borer has made farmers switch to farm alternative cash crops that has limited markets.
This has contributed to a steady decline in the cash crop production levels and to larger extent, it affected the provincial economy.
In a gathering last week in Kerevat, the Deputy prime minister, Leo Dion, who is also the regional member for East New Britain province, told his countryman and women that they must not give up despite the challenges they face in cash crop farming.
East New Britain province is renowned for its high quality cocoa beans and copra.
But in recent years, East New Britain is being outplayed by other provinces in terms of cash crop production like cocoa, coconut and balsa.
And this noticeable drop in the agriculture output has been an ongoing topic of discussion on how the province will reclaim these lost commodities.
Various researches have been conducted by agriculture institutions in East New Britain province with the primary aim of improving the agriculture output.
And most importantly, to regain the lost confidence in cash crop farming.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=GUwn8oI9Dds%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
