Logistical costs a challenge for betel nut trade in Bougainville

Betel nut can be a lucrative business for most west coast Bougainvilleans from the Kunua district.

But logistical challenges are costing them a lot and the little they could earn selling betel nut in Buka has been able to just keep them a float.

Evelyn Sinat,39,  and Martin Sibo,53, are two among hundreds of betel nut traders who travel into Buka daily and they are suppliers of the famous huge betel nuts from Bougainville.

Martin Sibo,53, and Evelyn Sinat, 39.

Sibo is married with four children and he traded betel nut in the last 18 years just to make ends meet for his immediate and extended family.

The whole trade has been somewhat little rewarding but he had been content, this was able to sustain him day by day.

He said he sells a bag at K80 and his return boat transport cost was K60 apart from the cost of each bag at K10.

Sinat does betel nut trade occasionally and said if demand was high and supply was low, she could sell a bag for K100 or worst K50.

When we spoke to her, she had seven bags.

She said the retailers at Buka bargain with them often and most times they lose, going back to their remote Kunua disappointed.

Married to Kavieng, Sinat said there were betel nut plantations high in the mountains of Kunua, in the middle lowlands and on the coast.

Transport to Buka though is really a pain.

She accounted they also pay carriers K10 to carry a bag of betel nut from the inland about 2 hours walk to the coast before catching a boat to Buka.

From betel but she was able to pay for school fees.

Her plight is for the government to afford them reliable and less expensive transport to markets and really develop her region.

They needed apart from road and good sea transport, mobile communication, health and education services.