Agriculture creates wealth, employment

WE acknowledge the visionary leadership of Kundiawa MP William Onglo and the Minister for Agriculture and Livestock John Simon for securing a national market for the rural farmers of Kundiawa-Gembogl.
It is a daunting challenge to make alignment plans to achieve the PNG Strategic Development Plan 2010 – 2030 and the broader Vision 2050 on wealth and employment creation into reality.
The achievement of development plans within a political term requires smart and strategic plans.
The development of vegetables storage facility for the Kundiawa- Gembogl farmers in the National Capital District is a great achievement for the electorate.
The development at the 8-Mile Department of Agriculture and Livestock state leased land is well aligned with the Private and Public Partnership in Agriculture project (PPAP) initiative.
The department taking the challenge to allow such a market development is the way forward to facilitate agriculture development at the rural level.
This import substitution project retain wealth and employment for rural farmers.
It is an eye opening project for all elected members of Parliament and their provincial government.
Port Moresby is the national market and this market is dominated by imported agricultural produce.
It includes processed Irish potatoes, bulb onion, garlic and various fruit produce such as orange and grapes among others.
In other words, wealth and employment is exported offshore.
As a result, unemployment rate is high with poverty alleviation.
Improving living standards of the people will not be achieved if the national market is dominated by imported agricultural produce.
Top quality import substitution crops can be grown in Kundiawa-Gembogl due to the soil chemistry and climatic condition.
The limestone based soil and the high attitude climate determine the taste and quality of the crops.
For instance, the taste of Irish potato, broccoli or sugar cane cultivated at Mt Wilhelm area differs in taste than that of lower altitude.
Tasty and quality crops can be grown in higher altitude and limestone base soil.
The potential of this electorate was realised by development partners and a soil study was undertaken in 1983.
Study had shown that high geography location like Kundiawa, Chimbu with the land slope of 350 – 450 , rainfall reception of 2249mls per annum … and is 2000m – 4800m above sea level is viable for horticulture crops (Pieter Bleeker: 1983).
In 1989, the AusAid and United Nations Development Programme funded farmers training programme in the northern and southern part of Chimbu.
The programme was known as North and South Simbu Rural Development Project.
The farmers were trained to cultivate horticultural crops that include Irish potato, bulb onion, garlic, broccoli, coneflower and other higher altitude crops.
The farmers’ adoption project was adequately disseminated and vegetables enterprising eventuated in the Mitnande LLG (Mt William area) of Kundiawa-Gembogl.
The development of road system from Kundiawa to Mt Wilhelm and the establishment of market in Port Moresby add value to the activity of the rural farmers in the area.
It is now realised that the district development authority (DDA) is concentrating on the Mitnande (Mt William) Innovative Agro-Tech farmers and loosing foresight on the Waiye and Niglkande LLG farmers.
Hence, the Mitnande LLG are participating and the 45,000 population of the Niglkande and Waiye are left out on the socioeconomic benefits of this impact project.
The agricultural potential of Waiye and Niglkande needs to be considered by DDA and Chimbu Division of Primary Industry (DPI).
The Nigkande LLG is predominately limestone base soil while Waiye have mixtures of limestone and gravelly alleviated Waghi valley soil.
Through soil feasibility study, it is disclosed that Niglkande and part of Waiye range can be the major producer of horticulture, vitis crops (grapes) and fiber due to the celebrated red soils and black soil.
The lower part of Waiye that is Marane – Gor is in the Simbu Waghi identified economic zone of the country.
This locality has the potential and it is viable for commercial agriculture production.
Among other food crops it is viable for commercial citrus production.
The high phototropism (sun light interception) and the predominately gravelly alluvial soil have the potential for citrus and tropical fruit farming.
Few farmers venture into citrus in the lower Waiye namely; Murane, Baundo Taiya, Akemake, Memaugl, Bragl and Gor area enjoy the lucrative benefit of citrus (orange) farming and these farmers are currently supplying Kundiawa town market.
They have the potential to supply Port Moresby national market but need technical support from the provincial agriculture.
The development of the national market is a socioeconomic impact project development collaboratively achieve by the Kundiawa-Gembogl DDA and the Department of Agriculture and Livestock.
It is well aligned with Government development plan on import substitution and developing local economy.
This Private and Public Partnership model project will have impact in the electorate as the farmers were properly trained and the innovation of horticulture was well adopted.
The establishment of the vegetables storage facility paves way for wealth and employment creation, and eventually will improve the living standard of the rural population.
It will also have economic multiplier impact on the small to medium enterprises of the electorate due to high cash flow generation.
It is an impact project and should be supported by line agencies like Commerce and Trade and development partners.

Fidellis Moroyagl
Dirimoundo, Kundiawa