Landowners of the Ramu NiCo Pipeline along the Bruce Jeffcott highway in Madang will benefit from 30, 000 cocoa seedlings by January next year.
Ramu NiCo’s Community Affairs Community Development Fund Supervisor Tony Kuipa told landowners during the Annual General Meeting of the Inland Pipeline Association, held at Usino government station on Thursday, 13 November 2025, that 10, 000 cocoa seedlings are currently being nursed at the company nursery at Bauri, just outside Madang town.
Mr Kuipa said a further 20, 000 seedlings will arrive in January 2026 and will then be distributed to landowners.
He stressed that the cocoa roll-out program is part of Ramu NiCo’s long-term sustainability commitments under its agriculture program, designed to support livelihoods beyond the operational life of the Ramu Nickel Mine.
Mr Kuipa explained to the landowners the importance to farm cocoa and the benefits they will earn even after the Ramu Nickel Mine’s lifespan lapsed.
Ramu NiCo Community Affairs Agriculture Officer Dolores Kamang told attendees that only landowners who have prepared land for cultivation and are ready to plant will be selected by the Inland Pipeline Committee before receiving cocoa seedlings.
“The cocoa seedlings will not be distributed in only one area, but across all four zones of the Inland Pipeline area,” Miss Kamang said.
She added, “ Ramu NiCo will work closely with the PNG Cocoa Board to ensure compliance with cocoa industry standards, from seedlings distribution to market delivery, so that landowners can maximize the benefits of their hard work.”
Inland Pipeline Committee member Mr. John Koti thanked the Ramu NiCo Community Development team for prioritizing cocoa as a key sustainability initiative.
“Cocoa is the major cash crop for us, the Begasin people and I thank Ramu NiCo for choosing cocoa for us in the Inland Pipeline area,” Mr Koti said.
