Bird urges farmers to bank earnings

EAST Sepik Governor Allan Bird has urged farmers in the Sepik region to bank the cash they are holding onto as commercial banks are faced with a shortage of cash.
The recent hike in cocoa prices and increased wet-bean production has meant that more money is going into the pockets of farmers in East Sepik and West Sepik provinces.
According to the PNG Cocoa Board this month, the highest cocoa price in the country is K1,760 for a 63.5kg bag paid in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
Chief executive officer Jesse Anjen said there were about 200,000 households or two million people growing cocoa in the country.
Bird said: “Our banks in Maprik are out of cash. Wewak is also facing the same situation. We need all our farmers to bank the cash they are holding so we can move more cocoa.
“Around 700 farmer groups had bank accounts opened through the EU UN joint programme in Sepik. Also some 60,000 farmers opened accounts with MiBank, Mama Bank and Celmoni. We encourage farmers to use these accounts.
“I have discussed with the EU programme managers and they should ramp up new bank account openings next month.
“I encourage everyone to inform your farming relatives to help us by banking the cash. I understand many of them are building up cash to buy Land Cruisers and trucks but this can be better done electronically.”