Manus into coconut bio-fuel production

By ROSELYN ELLISON in Lorengau

 

Manus provincial Government (MPG) is slowly preparing itself to get into serious diesel fuel import substitution.

Of the K3 million National Agriculture Development Plan funding, K1.5 million is specifically set to get coconut bio-diesel production in a big way.

So far two of the major activities have taken place

One was the pre-feasibility tour of Buka Metal Fabricators’ coconut bio-diesel plant in Bougainville last August by MPG and provincial agriculture officers.

The other was the collection of 20,000 coconut seedlings from Aua Wuvulu and Nigoherm local level governments in the Western Islands of Manus last September.

The collection of nuts from the old German plantations was intended for the rehabilitation and replanting of 10 identified senile coconut plantations in the province.

This will cover a total land area of 300ha with the inclusion of a further 100ha.

 This extension will be from smallholders who will be given 70 seedlings each to plant to support the project.

However, other coconut growers within the province are also welcome to participate through the supply of coconuts to plant.

In August/September 2007, MPG engaged PNG Bio-fuel Engineering Ltd (PNGBEL) to conduct a baseline study of the coconut production capacity of the province