Deluge halts oil palm harvests
Traffic between Kimbe and Bialla has come to a halt after oil palm harvests from the Hoskins and Bialla projects were affected by continuous heavy rain since Boxing Day.
The Ivule bridge along the Kimbe Bialla section of the New Britain Highway partially collapsed, cutting off access yesterday morning.
Ivule Bridge is a challenge because it collapses every year during continuous rain falls.
Hargy Oil Palm general manager Graham King said growers in central Nakanai are not able to harvest due to the bridge collapse.
Mr King said the bridges at Koloi, Soi and Koasa have also been flooded, with no access, and production at Barema and Navo at almost nil.
For the Hoskins project, OPIC manager Michael Buka said there has been no harvest since December 27.
He said road access to Ark Village oil palm blocks was cut off by the floods.
Meanwhile, East Nakanai local level government president John Nasale is appealing to people to nottravel between Kimbe and Bialla during this time.
He said even the wet crossing is very risky due to the fast flowing and strong currents caused by the heavy rains.
Mr Nasale witnessed a woman from Kimbe who had gone to Bialla and bought five bags of betelnut only to have three bags washed away by the strong currents of Ivule River.
He urged betelnut buyers to stop because it also puts the sellers at risk climbing slippery betelnut trees.
Mr Nasale said currently vehicles can travel as far as Yamulu Bridge from Kimbe, while those travelling in from Bialla stop on the Ivule side.
In related developments, West New Britain Governor Sasindran Muthuvel has appealed to the Department of Works to restore the Ivule Bridge when the weather improves.
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