Farmers look for market

 VEGETABLE farmers and buyers in Western Highlands will approach Governor Paias Wingti to find markets for them because the main one in Port Moresby is no longer available.

Wisky Fresh Produce director Saina Berry and a group of farmers and buyers met at the Mt Hagen main market to discuss the impact on their farm produce by the new K28 million agro farm in Central launched recently by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill. They fear that the farm will produce ample vegetables to meet the needs of people in Port Moresby.

Berry said their only option was to ask Wingti to assist in securing a new market for them.

A spokesman for the K28 million agro farm said recently that it would concentrate only on producing vegetables that were being imported from Australia and should not affect local vegetable farmers.

Berry said Wingti had always encouraged the people to “toil the land for a living’’because of the abundance of fertile soil in the province.

“To follow his policy, we have been toiling our land and producing in abundance,” she said.

“But where is the market where we can take our produce to? Mt Hagen market already has an abundance of food.” 

Berry said she helped farmers by buying their produce in bulk and reselling them in Port Moresby.

“That will not be the case anymore,’’she said.

“Government is taking away our only way source of income. This will make us very poor.’

Wingti could not be reached for a comment.