New coconut genebank on target

Friday, 18 July 2025, 4:05 pm

Certifying one of the 16 registered Cooperative Societies to partner and engage with the research station project development (NBC News)

The new International Coconut Genebank to go up in Milne Bay, a major undertaking by the Kokonas Indastri Koporesen is said to be on target.

KIK Managing Director Allen Aku was at the Punipuni site this week where major clearing works is progressing well with a landing barge area and ground works for where the initial three staff houses will go up, have been completed.

Aku says this undertaking by KIK is to establish a duplicate of the Murnas Stewart Research Station in Madang where the Bogia Coconut Syndrome continues to pose a huge threat to genebank species being preserved.

Currently there are 57 varieties in stock- 47 are coconut talls and 14 are dwarf species.

KIK Managing Director Allen Aku at the landing site during Thursday's inspections (NBC News)

Alotau Open MP Ricky Morris who accompanied Aku for the 112hectare Punipuni site visit on Thursday assured his districts continued support of this major project investment in the district.

Papua New Guinea is one of 5 host nations to a Coconut genebank, representing the South Pacific region.