Green Gold - Betel Nut Farmers in East Are'Are | SIBC TV | SHORT FEATURE STORIES

Added: 2026-05-11

[00:00:10]A majority of the Solomon Islands rural populace depends on the informal sector to generate income. The growing and selling of garden crops has enabled families to provide for their day-to-day needs. But for women in Hautahe Village in East Are'are, Malaita Province, betel nut has given them the means to go an extra mile in providing for their families.

[00:01:17]Mrs. Stella Haikeni is one of the many women in Hautahe Village who engage in the betel nut industry for economic means. With over 5,000 betel nut trees in three of her plantations, Mrs. Haikeni says they earn good money when there is a demand for betel nut in Honiara. She explains that this helps them with their major family projects.

[00:02:15]>> But when there is a surplus of beetle nut, they get as low as $80 for a 20 kg bag of beetle nut.

[00:02:38]$100 With the recent COVID-19 transmission in the country, beetle nut farmers in Hote Village were also affected as there was no income generated from beetle nut.

[00:03:35]$20 now, one bag.

[00:03:48]But last time it was $100 now.

[00:04:00]>> For betel nut farmers, Mrs. Tonesiana Nonuwaru and her husband Andrew Teremauri, the betel nut plantations have supported them to provide for their children and meet family and community obligations through contributions.

[00:05:21]Aim for house.

[00:05:36]Local plantation here.

[00:05:39]And about 10 fella.

[00:05:41]So, make one night me come stay low him low inside him come stay low him here.

[00:05:47]Make uh make one plantation now.

[00:05:51]Suppose you are team every farmer sit together by him cousin 20 plus here.

[00:05:56]20,000 plus bottom bitter nut. Oh, one trip. Me to come call all last Christmas to yet.

[00:06:03]Me to come now have me 15 bags.

[00:06:06]So, me no market low or got the market here more. Me call sell low work no more.

[00:06:13]15 bags here have 15,000 now.

[00:06:16]Low 10 15 bags here.

[00:06:19]Low one for Christmas now.

[00:06:21]I mean follow.

[00:06:22]Me follow no work at all low town or something.

[00:06:25]All for government Me follow stay awesome no more.

[00:06:29]So, me follow find them hard and we first time come now for planting bitter nut no more.

[00:06:35]And every selling low here me now.

[00:06:38]Me follow repeat papa sitting to yet.

[00:06:42]Time me follow call sell low here or there awesome.

[00:06:44]Half selling low here me me follow using now low family.

[00:06:49]Half selling low here me follow buy paper now got that something for house or something.

[00:06:54]Like copper or got that masonite or got that wire cement or something everything low house now.

[00:07:04]From now every time me follow awesome no more.

[00:07:07]Time me call sell and at same time it me buy paper something to do same time.

[00:07:14]And help me help me follow to low side low school fees.

[00:07:19]And side low got that buy paper carry or something low side low me follow low home that will not help too much here.

[00:07:26]Buy paper carry now me follow no good low here me Every selling me follow no sell me follow swap low him too.

[00:07:33]Because buy paper carry him him all the way no yet.

[00:07:37]Although Hoti community also engage in ginger and cover farming, they find that betel nut farming is more convenient for them.

[00:08:09]But since that you must make a man ground on top cover to cut cut but uh what have been there you brush all the way no more.

[00:08:19]Two months finish you go set brush time him small two months here if brush. Then him be beginning now. Then him pick awesome you know set brush all the way too awesome him something so him no grow all the way inside. Grass you know set grow all the way.

[00:08:36]You are selling all been there him nice too much then pick then him all the way too.

[00:08:42]Time been that awesome ship come no more been that go go now. Every ship come all the way no more home you are all the way all the way. So small market low home you are too.

[00:08:54]Low home is a go with him the dollar by now go sell all one awesome low there cuz another side no garden been that awesome low me follow is there.

[00:09:02]Uh selling all been that and selling all everything here like cover and ginger everything more.

[00:09:11]Because everything name you got them to yet.

[00:09:13]Cover me the camera me you see him but uh him him no him him better no good now.

[00:09:20]Because uh every fire with the papaya me with the brush block the him drop down too.

[00:09:28]Ginger no any place where me will buy go sell all him too so every ginger here all follow bush no No But betel nut here now him not miss the story about it every time no more.

[00:09:41]In countries such as Indonesia, betel nut is commercialized through the export of its fruits. According to reports from Volza Grow Global, the top three exporters of betel nut are Indonesia, Netherlands, and India, with Indonesia being the largest, accounting for over 5,000 shipments.

[00:10:00]For Solomon Islands, betel nut is mainly commercialized within the country from producer or farmer to the seller.

[00:10:07]Consumers buy betel nut mainly to chew for pleasure. With its large consumption rate in the country, it is also used as an item to calculate the country's consumer price index CPI. Senior statistician at the National Statistics Office, Ms. Anna Luwu, says high expenditure on betel nut has seen its inclusion as an item for the CPI.

[00:10:30]This is my fellow pricing.

[00:10:32]We follow not just taking all about.

[00:10:37]We follow based in now on the survey we are doing. We follow call them the household income and expenditure survey.

[00:10:43]Now that from the survey now, we follow looking at spending pattern of households, and mostly we follow missing them in urban centers, urban areas.

[00:10:50]So from this fellow highs here, we follow certain in the highs.

[00:10:55]We follow looking now on the people spending more money on him.

[00:11:00]So last highs we follow doing, we follow looking that betel nut him buy over a big expenditure of the households.

[00:11:07]So then we follow taking we follow follow them expenditure of the highs.

[00:11:12]Also in the personal thinking and maybe I think I'm good for the policy makers and also because betel nut him one fellow big contribution for all the households here for livelihood block of time.

[00:11:25]Okay, also maybe mention him go.

[00:11:27]We follow out in information now.

[00:11:29]And him up to the policy makers here for make use make him because you're looking road there.

[00:11:35]Every betel nut seller is normal when this is normal. And hard work will do nothing if him no benefit him or get up.

[00:11:41]And how for take him from now and onwards here him him him by me put him in the hand block there. Me follow him work along him follow for giving you information for you work along him data blow you for you use it.

[00:11:53]The Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration also recognizes the betel nut industry in the country as one that develops livelihoods. In an interview, Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Commerce, Mr. Riley Mesepitu says the betel nut industry has seen the participation of those employed in the informal and even the formal sector. He states that while there is no market assessment being conducted with the betel nut industry to uncover its real value, the Ministry of Commerce projects that the industry has helped many Solomon Islanders irrespective of being employed or unemployed.

[00:12:30]Mr. Mesepitu also highlighted that the Ministry recognizes the involvement of women in the industry as men and women play an important role in the industry through their engagements in owning plantations and market distributions with women more predominant in market distributions.

[00:12:49]The Ministry of Commerce sees the market outlook for the export of betel nut regionally as depending on the market demand stemming from local Solomon Islanders overseas. It also notes that the biosecurity requirements from regional countries would likely undermine any possibility for exports.

[00:13:07]However, the Ministry of Commerce anticipates a viable future for the betel nut industry as higher consumption rates tied to cultural practices and pleasure will increase the earnings generated for key players in the industry.

[00:13:27]>> I never got that I was doing Okay, then follow my daily routine right?

[00:13:39]>> [music]