File Ref. PC/A/6C
PRESS STATEMENT
March 12, 2019
TAKAIOU COMMUNITY ESTABLISHES FIRST PGS GROUP IN THE FSM
Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia – On January 9, 2019, a group of twelve farmers in Pohnpei formalized their partnership with Vital as coconut suppliers under the Participant Guarantee System (PGS) model. The Takaiou PGS of Takaiou, U Municipality were also registered as the first PGS group to be incorporated in the FSM. This is a significant milestone for Vital’s Coconut for Life (C4Life) initiative and its goal to improve livelihoods across the country. The group, with farmers ranging between 36 and 70 years of age, has since completed two trades with Vital, selling over 9,000 pounds of husked coconut to the Coconut Industry Development Unit (CIDU) in Dekehtik, Pohnpei.
In February, the Takaiou PGS visited CIDU, walking through the facility and witnessing their harvests being processed into virgin coconut oil. The farmers and representatives of Vital were also invited to a luncheon hosted by the Micronesia Conservation Trust (MCT), during which time MCT’s Santiago Joab, Jr. and C4Life Resource Analyst Peterson Anson both commended the group as the first to become incorporated. Anson stated, “C4Life is all for the benefit of the nation as a whole. That is why, among all the natural resources in the FSM, we are working with coconuts—because almost every island in every state has coconut trees, and everyone can participate as a supplier. We foresee that MCT and the Takaiou PGS have laid the path for several hundred more PGS groups to follow. I wouldn’t be surprised if, in six months’ time, our empty warehouse in Dekehtik will require an expansion, once farmers see the long-term benefits of the C4Life project.”
C4Life aims to contribute to the financial security of the nation. It is designed to create a new and sustainable source of income for farmers in the FSM, as the nation prepares for the conclusion of the Compact of Free Association between the FSM and the United States in 2023.
Community engagements in each state are tentatively scheduled in phases:
Phase 1 – Pohnpei communities (Sept 2018-Aug 2019)
Phase 2 – Yap Copra Agents (Q12019)
Chuuk communities (Q32019)
Phase 3 – Kosrae communities (Q42019)
For more information on the Participant Guarantee System model, and to register your community’s interest to supply coconuts to C4Life, contact pgs@fsmpc.com.
TAKAIOU WIALAHR KEIOU EN PWIHN EN PGS NAN FSM
Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia – Ni 9 en January, 2019, pwihn ehu sang dekehn Takaiou, Uh kamanamanlahr sang Ohpis en FSM Registrar of Corporations me re wia pwihn dehdeh iou nan wein FSM oh tapiadahr pesnes dehde iou me pahn kin netiki ahr wahn sahpw kaselel kan ohng Vital oh pahn tepkihda mwangas nan irair en ansou wet. Eden pwihn wet iei, “Takaiou, Lopidi 4 en wein U, PGS Inc.” oh irail pwihn wet me wia keiou en pwihn en Participant Guarantee System (PGS) manaman nan FSM.
Pwihn wet kanekelahr ahr net riau ong Vital me pato ni paun pohnangid 9,000. Ohl ehk riemen (12), sang sounpar 36 lel sounpar 70 me towe pwihn wet. Ni 15 en February 2019, pwihn wet patolahr Coconut Industry Development Unit (CIDU), Vital me pato Nandekehtik irail eri pein patohwan mwomwen doadoahk en kieweklahn mwangas akan ohng song teikan. Mwurin ahr poatohwahnehr wiepen doadoahk kan, Micronesia Conservation Trust (MCT) pil lukeirailohngehr sak en souwas pwe ren pil kak tuhweng irail tohn doadoahk kan en MCT oh Vital.
Doadoahk en PGS wet wia kisehn doadoahk lap en Coconut for Life (C4Life) me Vital men ehukihong FSM, MCT oh pali teikan oh patkihieng tohn wehi unsek pwehn wia ehu tetehn elen sent ohng aramas akan ni FSM ah ketin koukounoplahng soh itar en mwohni me kehkehlikpe sansal nan inou en minimin saledek en nan pwungen wein FSM oh US me pahn imwsekila pahr 2023.
Iet duwehn koasoandihn kapehsehieng kousoan kan ohng dodoahk en iangala PGS program wet:
Pali keiou: Pohnpei (September 2018-August 2019)
Pali keriau: Yap Copra Agent (January-March 2019)
Chuuk (July-September 2019)
Pali kesiluh: Kosrae (October-December 2019)
Ma mie sapwelimomwi iren keinemwe de kalelapak ohng wiepen doadoahk wet, komw ketin kalelehki pgs@fsmpc.com.