The municipal pearl farm of Nukuoro is preparing to hold the sale of its first pearl harvest. The event will take place on the island of Pohnpei in May 2002 and will run over two days.

A total of 900 pearls from this first production have been graded and will be offered for sale “in bulk.” The remaining pearls will be shipped to Malaysia, where they will be turned into pendants, earrings, and bracelets to be marketed during the upcoming Micronesian Games in July.

The farm is also preparing to welcome, in June 2002, a grafter who will harvest 4,400 already-grafted oysters and graft an additional 10,000, marking a new step in the development of local production.