AusAID boosts SHP women’s association with K54,000

 By PETER ESOP WARI

A GROUP of women in Karinz, Mendi-Munihu district, Southern Highlands, have AusAID to thank for helping them start a vegetable business.

The Karinz Women’s Association received K54,000 from AusAID under the Strongim Pipol, Strongim Kantri programme last Friday, to help them grow vegetables and sell them to business houses.

Southern Highlands provincial agriculture adviser Kenneth Kuim Toap said the department would provide technical support and find markets for the women.

He said Karinz was a fertile area and local women were the major suppliers of vegetables at the Mendi market.

He said their only problem was capital.

He said AusAID would help the women extend their businesses and supply vegetables to business houses in Mendi and PNG LNG project sites.

“There are woman who are heavily involved in agricultural activities and need help to access better markets to sell their products.”

He said the government was trying to revive agricultural activities in the province.

Meanwhile, the provincial division of agriculture and livestock will be redistributing fingerlings to co-operative society groups in the Mendi-Munihu district which lost their fish farms during flooding two weeks ago.