Farmer thrilled with onion promise

By JAMES GUMUNO
BULB onions in Laiagam, Enga, are showing promising results and becoming an eye-opener for rural farmers, a farmer says.
Chimbus living under the foot of the country’s highest mountain, Mt Wilhelm, in Gembogl are known for growing bulb onions.
The crop now grows well in the Pilikambi local-level government area.
Harvests from the trial plots established at Niugu village of Karnak Ward 16 were highly promising, Lagaip Poverty Relievers’ Association chairman Danis Salapan said.
He said his group would go into large-scale farming now.
Salapan, an agriculturist, said: “Laiagam has large, unused arable land for medium-to-large-scale vegetable farming and with overwhelming results displayed by one of our imported fresh produces, we could do very well.”
He said with next year’s budget increase for agriculture development, it would allow farmers to make lucrative income out of their land.
Bulb onion farmer Joseph Wapen said he was thrilled and felt motivated by the yields.
“I was assigned to look after trial plots and now I am very excited about the promising results,” he said.
He said he would now grow bulb onions on a bigger scale along with other vegetables.