Kumul Organic

Thanks for being a top engager and making it on to my weekly engagement list! 🎉 Nicholle Anne Sharmainne, Joshi Wamiang, Raymond Apopo Aru, Salome Marmando Dul, Lalokau Sikotai, Dovlyn Aite, Rosemary Tamai Kouse, Noella Margy Tanby, Daphne Kintau, Bongi Baput Guweru

Am humble with God's blessings earn through hard work.

Ihu’s coconut plantations and the broader Gulf coastline were once central to Papua New Guinea’s colonial copra economy. Introduced by German planters in the late 19th century and later expanded under Australian administration after World War I, coconuts became a cornerstone of export trade. Specific plantations in Kikori — such as the Kikori Government Station plantation on Goaribari Island (established around 1916) — marked some of the earliest organized efforts before independence.

German settlers began planting coconut palms in 1884, establishing plantations for copra production (dried coconut flesh used for oil). Their focus on coastal areas reflected the need for easier access to shipping routes. After Germany lost its colonies in 1919, Australia took control, expropriated German-owned plantations, and sold them to Australian companies and returning soldiers. By the 1920s–1930s, firms like Burns Philp and W.R. Carpenter & Co. dominated the industry. Copra remained a major export until the 1970s, but by the 1980s–2000s, global competition — especially soybeans — drastically reduced PNG’s copra exports.

Fast forward to today, and the coconut story is being rewritten by local SMEs. One standout is Kumul Organics, founded by entrepreneur Tina Manamb. Starting in Madang, Tina expanded her smallholder grower base into Kikori District, where growers in Koialahu (East Ihu LLG) have revived their coconut trees to generate rural income.

Her journey has been anything but easy. “I started Kumul Organics a few years ago through difficult conditions. Catching PMV buses up and down the Highlands Highway to source local content and produce was very difficult and came with many risks,” Tina recalls.

Despite the hurdles, Tina established her brand, refining packaging and labels, and building distribution networks. Her expansion into Gulf Province received a boost from the National Gaming Control Board (NGCB), which provided capital investment and a Toyota Land Cruiser Trooper valued at K240,000 from Ela Motors. “The NGCB-funded vehicle will alleviate the burden for local women to meet my demand capacity,” she says.

The timing couldn’t be better. A K100 million coconut processing factory is set to open in Madang Province through a joint venture between the PNG Government (51%) and Sri Lanka’s Jaindi Exports Pvt Ltd (49%). Located at Siar along the North Coast Road, the factory will process every part of the coconut — husk, shell, water, and flesh — into high-value products for domestic and export markets. It is expected to create 1,000 jobs once operational.

For Tina, this development is a game-changer. “After carefully assessing this new development and a refocus into the Port Moresby market, I expanded locally to broaden my supply base,” she explains. Kumul Organics is now distributing through CPL Group, with its first batch hitting shelves on Friday, June 19, 2026. “It has been a long journey, and I’m grateful for people like Sir Mahesh Patel for giving SME mothers the opportunity to trade through his outlets.”

Kumul Organics will showcase Kikori District through its brand at the PNG SME Week (June 24–26, 2026), culminating in the SME Business Breakfast with the Prime Minister. Coconut growers from Central Province and Milne Bay will also gain access to the Port Moresby market through Tina’s network. Interested partners can meet her at APEC Haus.

Kokonas Indastri Koporesen of Papua New Guinea
City Pharmacy PNG

"If you can imagine it, you can do it".

| Southern Economy Corridor Showcase 🌴
🇵🇬 Join us next week from Monday to Friday at APEC Haus, Port Moresby, for PNG SME Week 2026! 🇵🇬
This exciting event will highlight the economic potential, innovation, culture, tourism, agriculture, and business opportunities within the Southern Economy Corridor, featuring the provinces of:
📍 Oro Province
📍 Gulf Province
📍 Central Province
📍 Milne Bay Province
The Southern Economy Corridor is a strategic growth region connecting people, markets, resources, and investment opportunities. Through agriculture, fisheries, tourism, manufacturing, and SME development, these provinces are contributing to economic diversification and sustainable growth in Papua New Guinea.
✨ What to Expect: ✅ SME Exhibitions and Trade Displays
✅ Agri-Business and Value-Added Products
✅ Tourism and Cultural Showcases
✅ Business Networking Opportunities
✅ Investment and Partnership Discussions
✅ Youth and Women Entrepreneurship Initiatives
This is an opportunity to support local businesses, discover unique products, and connect with entrepreneurs who are driving economic transformation across the region.
🌿 Visit Kumul Organics and explore our range of coconut oil-infused health, beauty, and wellness products proudly supporting coconut growers from Central and Gulf Provinces.
📅 Date: Monday 22 June – Friday 26 June 2026
📍 Venue: APEC Haus
🎯 Event: PNG SME Week 2026
Together, let's celebrate entrepreneurship, innovation, and the economic future of the Southern Economy Corridor.

Today, as I update our business cards, product labels, and pull-up banners with a new postal address in Port Moresby, I find myself feeling emotional.

What may seem like a simple change of address is actually a powerful reminder of how far this journey has come.

Kumul Organics was born in Wagol Settlement, Madang Town, with only K100, a baby by my side, and a dream that many people could not see. There were days filled with uncertainty, challenges, setbacks, and moments when I questioned whether I could continue. Yet, I kept moving forward.

Faith became the mechanism that carried me through every obstacle. Faith in God. Faith in myself. Faith in the vision that one day Kumul Organics would create opportunities for others and make a difference in our communities.

As I reflect on this journey, I am humbled by every lesson, every struggle, every customer, every coconut grower, and every person who believed in me along the way.

The address may have changed from Madang to Port Moresby, but the heart of Kumul Organics remains the same. It is still built on resilience, purpose, determination, and a desire to empower local people through the coconut downstream processing activities.

This move represents growth, not just for the business, but for me who started with very little and refused to give up.

To anyone building a dream from humble beginnings: keep going. Your current circumstances do not determine your future. With faith, persistence, and hard work, small beginnings can grow into something far greater than you ever imagined.
💚 From Wagol Settlement, Madang, to Port Moresby.
💚 From K100 to a growing brand.
💚 From a dream to a mission.
🌴🇵🇬✨

I had the privilege of traveling along some of our country's major highway networks—critical transport corridors that connect provinces, communities, and economies.

Seeing these roads firsthand was a powerful reminder of how important infrastructure is to national development. These highways do far more than link destinations; they enable the efficient movement of goods, services, and people, creating opportunities for businesses, farmers, entrepreneurs, and communities to thrive.

Strong transport networks improve market access, facilitate trade, strengthen regional integration, and contribute significantly to economic growth. Every truck carrying produce, every small business accessing new markets, and every family traveling for education or healthcare benefits from these vital connections.

As our nation continues to develop, strategic investments in infrastructure will remain essential for driving sustainable economic progress, empowering local industries, and improving livelihoods across Papua New Guinea.

The Highlands Highway is one of Papua New Guinea’s most important national lifelines.

It connects 9 of PNG’s 22 provinces, serves around half of the country’s population, and supports economic activity that contributes to around half of PNG’s GDP.

Freight, fuel, food, building materials, mining support, public transport and essential goods all rely on this corridor staying open and reliable.

When this road slows down, the cost is paid by businesses, industries, families and communities.

Through the Sustainable Highlands Highway Investment Program, ADB is supporting the Government of Papua New Guinea to strengthen this critical 430km corridor.

This is not just roadwork.

It is economic protection for PNG.

Thanks for being a top engager and making it on to my weekly engagement list! 🎉 Nicholle Anne Sharmainne, Lucy Lus, Pihe Carol Broome Kata, Zina Sovo

🌺 The Woman Who Inspired My Entrepreneurial Journey – My Mother, Mrs. Ellen Lyn Manamb 🌺

As I reflect on my life and business journey, I realize that my first lessons in entrepreneurship came from watching my mother, Mrs. Ellen Lyn Manamb.

Growing up, I saw her selling homemade buns, cups of juice, and lollies to earn extra income for our family. Later, when we moved from Port Moresby to Kokopo, she continued her small business activities by selling rice balls and donuts. Without realizing it at the time, I was being raised in an entrepreneurial environment.

My mother also maintained productive food gardens and always looked for ways to create value and generate income. Her passion for hard work and self-reliance was evident in everything she did.

One thing that stood out was her discipline with money. She was very strict when it came to finances. Before going shopping or to the market, she would carefully prepare a shopping list and plan her spending. Through her example, I learned the importance of budgeting, financial discipline, and living within one's means.

She was also an excellent saver. While many people focus on making money, my mother taught me that building financial security requires both earning and saving.

What makes her story even more inspiring is that she achieved all of this while being fully committed to her profession as a teacher. She balanced her career, family responsibilities, gardening, and small business ventures with remarkable dedication and determination.

Even after my parents retired and settled in their permanent home in Bogia District, Madang Province, my mother's industrious spirit never stopped. She established a small trade store that continues to support their daily needs alongside gardening and fishing activities.

Looking back, I now understand that my mother's life taught me some of the most valuable lessons I carry today:

✅ Work hard and stay committed.
✅ Create opportunities instead of waiting for them.
✅ Manage money wisely.
✅ Save for the future.
✅ Remain productive at every stage of life.

Thank you, Mom, for being my first teacher in entrepreneurship, financial discipline, and perseverance. Your example continues to inspire me every day, and many of the values that guide my business journey today were first learned by watching you.

❤️ A truly industrious woman, a devoted teacher, and an inspiring mother.