Hundreds of noni trees and plantations in North West Guadalcanal remain idle after the main buyer ceased purchasing noni fruits two years ago.
Ben Misu a local farmer from the region said that since Solomon Noni Corporation stopped buying the fruits he lost close to SBD$8,000 per week.
Mr Misu added the main buyer stopped buying fruits from local farmers around 2022.
Solomon Noni Corporation normally buys the noni fruits and exported its juice overseas.
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 -2020 has been blamed for disrupting the international market which now affects all local growers.
“Our plantations are now overtaken by thick bush, which is a waste. We have some big plans when we started planting noni in 2016.”
Mr Misu who only started harvesting the fruits in early 2019 saw the positive returns in terms of financial gain describing it as very rewarding.
“I was encouraged by this investment so I employed some people in my community,” he said.
He was planning to plant another 4,000 so he could double his earnings.
However, the closure of the buying agent has been disappointing for him.
“I’m discouraged with what is happening because a lot of time and effort has been wasted,” he said.
Because of the situation he was forced to look at other options like planting cassava or vegetables.
“I will just focus on the local market, because all these good stories about the overseas market have not worked out,” said a determined Misu.
He also applied for the Economic Stimulus Package (ESP) in 2019 but despite meeting the criteria he was unsuccessful.
In 2019 the government, through the ESP initiative, injected SBD$1.2 million dollars into the noni industry.
Much of the support was directed to the Solomon Noni Cooperation.
The government said at the time that the support was to fortify the noni industry, keeping it afloat to support rural farmers by way of a steady market for their produce.
It is understood the international market for noni plummeted as COVID-19 disrupted the supply chain, which goes as far as Europe.
In 2022 a high level Chinese delegation from China visited the Solomon Noni Cooperation Ltd made a millstone promises to open the China Market.
Solomon Noni Corporation Ltd in the past made significant breakthrough in the International Markets like United States, Australia, Japan, Hungary, Netherlands
Local noni growers in Northwest Guadalcanal are hoping an international buyer for noni is being secured soon.
By Jimmy Nolan
Solomon Star, Honiara
