Cash crops wasted in rural areas, pilot says

THERE are potentially millions of kina worth of goods in the form of cash crops and other resources waiting to be taken from rural areas but a lack of transport infrastructure and accessibility is allowing these places to remain underdeveloped, a pilot says.
North Coast Aviation pilot Captain Henry Nilkare, who ferries coffee and cocoa from parts of Chimbu to markets in other centres, said: “There are millions of kina in rural economy sleeping that we need to bring them out to boost the country’s economy.
“Exportable cash crops like coffee and cocoa are left rotting away in inaccessible and remote locations around PNG where there are no road links.”
He said when he started flying with North Coast Aviation into rural areas, he realised that much of the crops produced were going to waste as they could not be brought to market conveniently and cheaply.
“The farmers do not have the cash on hand to pay for freight charges, there are no roads to transport them out and there are no regular flights to these airstrips,” he said.
The 36-year old said unless the Government made changes to impediments to rural farmers such as introducing freight subsidies, the rural economy would remain stunted.
“I can honestly say that rural economy is a sleeping giant.
“The Government needs to develop policies to tap into waking this sleeping rural economy. Successive governments have failed because they have been ill-advised. Coffee, cocoa, vanilla and other produce are not taken out of these areas and millions of kina rotting away.”