Call for government to help farmers’ expansion plans

SOME farmers in the Highlands want Government to provide incentives or assistance to expand their agricultural activities.
Owner of Waghi Farming Supplies Robin Aipi, who is based in Jiwaka, said the environment and climate were ideal to grow cash crops on a large scale.
Aipi said the farmers needed money to buy machines and employ labourers to go into large-scale commercial farming.
His company supplies fruit and vegetables weekly to catering companies operating at the mining sites in the Highlands.
Aipi said he was doing it on a small-scale and needed assistance to expand his farming activities and involve more rural farmers.
“We have good climate and fertile soil to grow quality vegetables without using fertilisers,” he said.
“But we need money.”
Aipi started his business in 2009 and had already secured another 15 hectares of land for farming.
He also called for Government support in marketing their produce.