Landowners buy back plantation land

Caption: Ian Sheppard presenting the title to Roy Mian

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, October 27, 2013 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

LANDOWNERS from the tribes Dimanka, Kisu, and Ikuma from Jiwaka Province have bought back their land and obtained the title to the former Kurumul Tea Plantation, one of the first tea plantations in the country established around the 1960s.

The tribes have gained back the title to their traditional land after a 13 year struggle- the tribes successfully regained the title under the landowner company Bopin Investment through their Chairman Roy Mian.

Mr Mian said that the company tried for years to get back the plantation from the previous Malaysian owners EPA Management, who eventually decided to sell back the plantation to the landowner for K260,000.

He said that the final payment of K142,309.30 arrears was made on September 13 this year, culminating to the handing over of the title confirmed by the Department of Lands to Bopin investments.

The chairman thanked the lawyer representing the previous owners Ian Sheppard for his unwavering support in assisting them achieves their goal.

Plans to rehabilitate coffee have taken place with three quarters off all coffee tree rehabilitated, and have begun production

However, plans to bring back the iconic Kurumul tea brand put on hold because of a lack of expertise in the crop.

Bopin Investments Limited is represented by the three tribes, consisting of 14 clans that have 14 representative directors in the company.