ENB buys imported seeds to grow local supplies

National

New Zealand vegetable seeds are being made available to farmers and market vendors in East New Britain.
A promotional launch of the seeds was conducted at the Kokopo market on Tuesday.
This is a joint initiative of the ENB Market Authority and Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA) with assistance from Volunteer Service Abroad, which was instrumental in sourcing the seeds from New Zealand.
Elizabeth Melchior, the FPDA senior extension adviser in the New Guinea Islands region, said ENB was the first province to buy seeds to help local farmers. She said according to a survey done by FPDA, “sourcing planting materials in the country was a big challenge”.
She commended the market authority for allocating funds to bring seeds from overseas.
“Such seeds are hard to come by due to the lack of research facilities in the country and quality seeds must be sourced from overseas,” Melchior said.
“A tin of seed cost K70 only and contains 150,000 seeds and if all goes well in the field and at the market, you can be able to buy a car with this tin of seed.”