Volunteer brings cocoa to his people

COVER STORY

A PASSIONATE agriculturist with a heart as vast as the fields he tends, Samson Gaire harbours a dream of transforming his community through agriculture.
Samson is from Imuagoro village in the hinterlands of Rigo District, Central and is a committed volunteer attached with the National Volunteer Service (NVS).
The 32-year-old’s connection to agriculture runs deep, stemming from his childhood spent working alongside his parents in the fields planting bananas, a crop that grows well in the area. As he grew older, his fascination with the intricacies of farming only intensified, leading him to pursue a degree in tropical agriculture at the University of Natural Resources and Environment (UNRE).
Samson’s journey towards introducing a new cash crop began when he graduated in 2016 with his deep-rooted passion for agriculture and his desire to uplift his community. Armed with a new understanding of soil composition, climate patterns, and crop cultivation techniques, Samson recognised the untapped potential of the land in Imuagoro village and an opportunity to not only improve the livelihoods of the villagers but also to create a sustainable source of income for future generations. Before diving into the idea of introducing cocoa, Samson conducted thorough research to understand soil composition, climate conditions, and market demand for the crop. He did so by collaborating with agricultural experts to gather insights and develop a comprehensive plan for implementation.

His first job was with a subsidiary of the Agmark Group of Companies as a field supervisor tending cocoa seedlings in the biggest cocoa plantation in the country, the Tokiala plantation in Rabaul, East New Britain.
He recognised the potential of cocoa as a high-value crop that could not only thrive in fertile soil and favourable climate but also provide a stable source of income for the people living in these areas.
“Cocoa is a cash crop that is known for its economic potential and understanding how to properly take care of its seedlings to cultivate it to earn a good profit to sustain a family or a community is necessary because by doing so we are helping people to be self-sufficient and not to rely heavily on the Government or others,” Samson said.
From working at Tokiala and studying the soil and techniques used to yield maximum output, he realised that with its growing demand in the global market and the promise of lucrative returns, cocoa seemed like the perfect opportunity to elevate the economic status of his community and empower its residents to break free from the cycle of poverty.
“I spent the next couple of years after school trying to learn and understand as much as I could to apply that knowledge to my project when I created a nursery at my village,” Samson said.
“My dream is to create a cocoa plantation that would help the people in my village and I had big plans for it.”
With the support of Frontier Agri and the Cocoa Board of Papua New Guinea, Samson was able to collect 10,000 cocoa seedlings.
Samson finally introduced cocoa to the community last October with hands-on training and demonstrations as he equipped the villagers with knowledge and skills needed to cultivate the crop successfully.

“I have also been giving the people in my village technical advice and support as cocoa is a new crop that most do not know about,” he said.
More villagers began to express their interest and support which fostered a sense of unity and cooperation among the villagers, allowing Samson to establish a cocoa nursery on the project site in his village while meticulously planning every step of the process from land preparation to seed selection to post-harvest management.
“We do not have cocoa growing in my village or other nearby villages in the district so introducing the crop to the locals came with a lot of mixed emotions as it was the first time for the people to hear about and see the plant,” he said. The introduction of cocoa faced initial resistance and scepticism from the villagers who were accustomed to traditional farming practices focused on subsistence agriculture.
However, undeterred by the scepticism and resistance, Samson proceeded to educate and empower his fellow villagers, sharing his knowledge and expertise to instil confidence and enthusiasm in them through community meetings, workshops, and hands-on training sessions. He tirelessly worked to build awareness and cultivate a sense of shared purpose among the villagers pushing them to invest in their future and that of the future generations.
“There are not really any cash crops in Rigo apart from bananas and my people only know about planting and consuming bananas as it is our staple food. Whatever surplus they make is sold to buy necessities and most times it cannot sustain the people in the village as one hand of bananas is sold at about K5 at the markets in the city or K20 to K50 for a whole bunch which at most times only covers the cost of transportation and the basics and does not leave the farmers with much to save.
“My hope is for this project to be successful so that the people not only in my village but the district as a whole can be able to harvest, sell, and receive an income from cocoa and by using proper agriculture techniques we can be able to export our cocoa as well.”
Since Samson started the cocoa project, his five brothers and other immediate family members left their homes in the main village and settled at the project site in temporary grass huts to assist him.
Samson’s eldest brother 39-year-old Kennedy Gaire said that when the family heard that he was planning to start a cocoa project on their land, they were very happy.
“We moved from our village to the project site last October when the project started to support Samson,” Kennedy said.
“When he came up with the idea to start a cocoa project on our own land, a land that belonged to our ancestors and was used for gardening, we agreed but we were confused because in our lifetime and in our village, we have never seen a cocoa plant.”
He said that they had seen results with cocoa in other places such as East Sepik, West Sepik and Bougainville who have successfully grown cocoa and they also wanted to do the same.
Kennedy and his wife Kila have planted 235 cocoa seedlings while the other family members have had their share of about 150 to 300 cocoas planted between them.
“We are so proud of Samson and the passion he has for this project,” Kennedy added.
Samson has helped 50 other farmers in the communities with their own seedlings and trained and helped them to set up their own plots.
He also taught them how to plant vanilla trees, sweet potatoes, corns and other crops using modern agriculture techniques for their gardens to keep producing.
Samson emphasised the long-term benefits of cocoa cultivation to the villages in their meetings, highlighting its potential to generate sustainable income, create employment opportunities, and improve the overall quality of life in the village.
“Cocoa will take three years to produce pods but it will look after families for many years to come,” he said.
Months passed, and the cocoa trees flourished under Samson’s watchful eyes, their vibrant green leaves a testament to the hard work and dedication of the villagers.
He said proudly that 8,000 cocoa seedlings from the total given had survived which means that the soil and environment are conducive and the crop would thrive. Samson’s vision continues to grow as his passion for agriculture and unwavering dedication to empowering others inspired a new generation of farmers to embrace innovative practices and explore new opportunities for growth and development.
His future plans are to expand beyond the borders of the village to neighbouring communities and other villages in the province. Through his leadership and vision, Samson has sown the seed of hope and prosperity for generations to come.
Today, the remote village whose fields were once barren are now teeming with lush cocoa trees, their branches soon to bear pods and at the heart of it all stands Samson, a beacon of hope and inspiration, whose unwavering belief in the transformative power of agriculture will forever change the landscape of his village and the lives of its inhabitants.
Samson is one among a total of 83 volunteers placed in rural communities across Papua New Guinea, utilising his professional skills and knowledge in agriculture to enhance sustainable agricultural projects within the communities.
The National Volunteer Service is a state agency under the Ministry of Defence responsible for recruiting, training, and placing professional volunteers in remote communities.

• Story and pictures supplied by National Volunteer Service.