LOCAL COPRA PRODUCERS WANT BETTER PRICES
A local copra producer preparing coconuts for copra. Photo credit: Our Pacific Ways.
Copra producers in North Malaita say they discouraged that governments have done little to improve local copra prices in the last three decades.
They say past and present governments have done little or nothing to improve the country’s copra industry and this is very discouraging.
An Iro Ngusuli told SIBC’s John Andrew Kiri, buying prices for locally produced copra have seemed to remain constant for so long.
“Copra prices remain unchanged and instead of improving they keep changing from one to two dollars, even to the point of surprising people. Copra and cocoa both contributed to deforestation and environmental impacts as well as involving hard labour, only for a meager return. Prices never improve, the industry never improves, government and CEMA as well as copra exporters please tell us whether copra is still economically viable so that we may not waste our land, effort and time on such unproductive production.”
John Kiri also reports, Mr Ngusulia says copra producers deserve better returns at the end of the day, instead of receiving meager returns for their hard work.
SIBC News understands, a change in preference for copra importing countries may affect copra prices internationally.