Source: The National

By GABRIEL FITO

THE multi-million kina Turubu oil palm project in East Sepik is working on its central nursery at Nungawa village in the Sausso area.

Landowner company chairman Aron Malijiwi said this 20ha main nursery area would supply planting material to the entire project on the SABL portion 144c in the Sausso and Turubu LLG areas.

The transplant of 98,000 young palms to the first plantation was completed last year, while the second temporary nursery at Kemange planted 2,495 palms last month.

Malijiwi said workers were soon to complete the transplant of more than 67,000 into the second plantation.

He said the permanent nursery at Nungawa had started receiving at least 130,000 seedlings from Dami research station in West New Britain.

The nursery was expected to receive seedlings every month until the target of 800,000 seedlings had been reached.

“We planted the first 25,000 seedlings in the nursery last week and are working on the next batch of 25,000, which were delivered this week

“We have a 150 permanent workers and 50 casuals, who are living on site and working in the plantations and nursery.”

The company, which had four assistant managers, was also building staff houses.