By JOE GURINA
Sogeri will soon have the excitement of honey, flooding all the corridors of the Koiari LLG, in Central province.
It is an agricultural commodity that is ready to make waves with its potential in the market, with the support from the locals who have agreed to take on the project, initiated by a local Papua New Guinean investor who wants to commercialize honey production in the country.
Back in the colonial era and before the World War II, Sogeri was known to breed cows, horses and in fact, rubber, coffee and cardamom from our British and Australian colonial masters.
Sogeri became one of the top cattle farming locale in the country apart from Morobe, and had set the record since after its demise in 2013.
Sogeri was the first to produce anything that one would have imagined of today.
And honey is retracing its origin this time after its establishment in the Sogeri plateau in the latter part of 1938 at Koitaki, before World War II.
The first bread and scone baked at Ianabewai village, close to Sogeri market, the first letter posted from Sogeri, the first beer canned, and the first baked biscuit, was all introduced to the country from Sogeri, after the World War 11.
The research for honey was established at Koitaki and Koitaki, but due to misunderstanding, the project was diverted to Aiyura, In Eastern Highlands in 1950.
Institutions like the first army infantry hospital and education centers like Sogeri and several sporting codes ovals, like the first golf course, bowling greens, Aussie rules and rugby league were established in the Sogeri plateau.
I recall, following my grand-dad (Iarei Wahona) in the rubber lines and tasted cardamom, which were planted amongst the rubber trees at Ninoa plantation at the Eilogo Rubber Estate, in Sogeri.
My grand dad would see bees hiving in trees and tells me, this was a potential income if the government had to see it through to implement the commodity in the Sogeri plateau.
This was some 40 years ago, my old man told me.
Until today, it is a commodity entering Central province with its grip at Sogeri, in Central province. And I am so fascinated to see two interested farmers riding on the curiosity to be first time honey farmers.
They will become pioneers in the new agriculture product.
Koroika Lahui, in her late 30s and mother to four children and married to Western is the first pioneer farmer who is set to invest her time in honey farming.
She sacrificed a piece of her land out of her tourism site at the edge of the dam at Nainumu village in Sirinumu, where the head start of the dam ascend.
Asked what inspired her to take on the grasp with the prospect in honey farming, she replied, ‘’I love nature and the process of flowering and how it takes in the pollination process, is something that, am fascinated about.
‘’Until I came across the introduction of bees, and that is where my interest started to grow,’’ she says.
She said, it was not a mistake for her when Honey Maoro Limited, asked of her interest to farm honey.
25 year old Silas mixed parentage of Abau and Koiari, says he is overwhelmed, with the fundamental knowledge given by some of the country’s finest bee experts.
It is a success story that will not go wrong for these two aspiring pioneer farmers who had dedicated their time and commitment to adapt into a new farming environment with a product newly introduced.
Both Silas and Lahui said the bee experts were specialists who made sure that the living cycle of the bees were lectured and kept them abreast.
‘’These experts gave the insight into breeding bee and we were fortunate to learn from these great people from their expertise. They are professionals in the business of honey farming and we owe our respect to this experts,’’ the both said.
The both locals from Sirinumu will become the pioneers of honey farming after having awarded their certificates as honey farmers and given 10 boxes each to start their journey into bee hiving.
Thanks to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority (PNGTPA) Eric Mossman Uvovo, who gave the boxes to the pioneer farmers as part of PNGTPA’s support to honey farming in Central province.
Chairman of Sirinumu Development Company (SIDCO), Steven John Manai thanked Koroika Lahui to introduce the first ever honey project with her involvement with Maoro Honey, an entity formed in 2014 in Eastern Highlands to promote honey farming in the country.
The landowner chairman, Mr Manai said they will embrace on the honey project that was economically practical to supplement the Sirinumu community apart from its fish and poultry project.
Maoro Honey Limited Chairman Russell Tato encouraged people in the area (Sirinumu) and the rest of Sogeri to get on the bandwagon and start putting some investment into purchasing and doing honey farming amongst all other crops that they had.
He said the honey project was intentionally set up to see the potential if Sirinumu can stand the chances to produce honey within the time frame.
And, in-fact, the results proved worth of the course with Tato adding Sogeri will be the main honey breeding supplier to the rest of Central province with the support of PNGTPA.
PNGTPA fully supports the project given that the project has a lot to offer for Tourist travelling the Kokoda Track.
