Plantations | ||
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The United Church has asked Tehillah Ministries to rehabilitate two church owned plantations - Skotolan and Tulean.
Tulean is the largest plantation and is next door to Skotolan Plantation. Tulean plantation was in the past run as a viable commercial plantation with some of the profits going to the United Church of Papua New Guinea. Skotolan plantation is much smaller and was primarily the food and fibre plantation for the Skotolan Mission Station. These plantations were devastated during 10 years of civil unrest in Bougainville until 1998 and have remained neglected since then.
The primary crop for both plantations is copra (coconuts). The secondary crop for both plantations is cocoa beans.
At the present time neither of the plantations is viable or operational. The two plantations could over a period of 25 years be rehabilitated back to viable, commercial concerns but we do not see this as our main aim. It is our vision to rehabilitate the Plantations so that they can glorify God, be of assistance to helping build the Pastors Training Centre and work hand in hand with vocational training activities that the Pastors Training Centre will also be conducting.
Skotolan Plantation which is around 70 acres in size is logistically easier to manage and therefore we are able to see progress from day to day hard labour. Every activity on the plantation will involve liaising with local people and finding out what resources we can tap into to get the local community involved so that they can proudly call the renewing of the plantations their project. The rehabilitation process will involve clearing of the overgrowth, replanting, propagation, producing copra, coconut oil and dried cocoa beans as well as quality control and marketing.
The project will not be running to specific deadlines as one job will run into the next job and many little jobs will run concurrently. After a minimum of 3 years we would hope to have in place a system of rehabilitation and a viable plantation model that is overseen by national people and can be duplicated in redeveloping Tulean Plantation. This can only be done through putting God first in every activity day to day, watching for His leading and being constantly covered in prayer so that His name will be honoured and worshipped for the great things He has already done in Bougainville and what He will do through His Holy Spirit in the future. Resources will be required for the following: - Materials to build a small bush house with rainwater tank - Purchase of a tractor and trailer - Materials to build a cocoa and copra dryer - Purchase of a coconut oil press - Purchase of seedlings for replanting - Purchase and transport of a container load of resources to Bougainville | |
Project: Rehabilitate Tulean and Skotolan Coconut and Cocoa Plantations Location: West coast, Buka Island, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea Current Status: Overgrown, unproductive, nil infrastructure Projected Objective: To be financially viable, so as to provide a financial income for the Pastors Training Centre Community Objective: To become a local centre for the purchase of farmers crops, to value add and train farmers how to do the same, with flow on benefits to all who live in the area. | ||
Shane & Karen would gladly hear from anybody that could help in either partnering in this Vision, through providing resources, such as finances, equipment, time or even prayer. Please don't Hesitate to contact them - Click here. |
