Balsa: biology, production and economics in Papua New Guinea

Balsa cultivation is an attractive land-use option for smallholders and larger landowners in PNG, including cocoa growers affected by cocoa pod borer. This study provides information on the biology of balsa, the status of the balsa industry, and explores the relative merits of the main balsa production systems, with a view to identifying researchable issues across the PNG balsa value chain – issues that will underpin the continued viability and potential expansion of PNG’s balsa wood industry.