A kava farmer from Basagolba village in Sumkar District, Madang Province, is encouraging farmers across the province to consider planting koniak (kava), describing it as one of the easiest and most reliable ways to earn income with less labour.
Wavoi Sindal from Basagolba in Bundum Ward 27 said he started growing koniak in 2004 when the crop was not widely known in many parts of Madang.
At that time, he said kava was selling for only K5 per kilogram, but despite the low price he continued growing it because he believed the crop had strong potential to generate income for rural farmers.
Sindal said over the years the price of koniak has increased significantly, attracting more farmers from different districts in Madang to take up the crop.
“Now the price has increased to about K49 per kilo and many farmers are now growing koniak,” he said.
He added the crop is now supplied by farmers from several districts across Madang Province, including Sumkar, Bogia and Rai Coast.
According to Sindal, most of the farmers involved in koniak production come from inland areas where the crop grows well.
He said the growing interest in koniak farming has created new economic opportunities for rural communities, allowing farmers to earn cash income without the heavy labour usually associated with other traditional cash crops.
However, Sindal said despite the benefits of growing koniak, farmers still face some challenges when selling their produce.
He said one of the biggest issues affecting growers is the delay in payment after they deliver their kava to buyers.
“Delay in payment and accommodation is our only problem,” he said.
Sindal explained that when payments are delayed, farmers who travel from remote villages often have nowhere to stay while waiting for their money.
He said this can be difficult for farmers who have spent days travelling to sell their produce.
Despite these challenges, Sindal believes koniak farming remains one of the most convenient ways for rural farmers to earn money.
He explained that compared to other cash crops such as cocoa, copra and betelnut, koniak requires less labour and fewer additional costs.
“With cocoa, copra and betelnut you have to work very hard and sometimes you even have to pay labour to help carry your bags to the market,” he said.
“But with kava you can carry even ten bundles yourself and still make good money.”
He added that a single bundle of kava can already generate a good amount of income for farmers.
Sindal is now encouraging people across Madang Province to look beyond the traditional cash crops and consider planting koniak as another source of income.
“I encourage Madang people to look into koniak as another way of making money, not only depending on cocoa, copra and buai,” he said.
He believes that if more farmers invest time in growing the crop, koniak farming could become an important economic activity that supports rural livelihoods across the province.
