Central govt funds farm projects

The National Weekender
AGRICULTURE
Joshua Lumbalumba of Highland Potato Connections receiving his K100, 000 cheque.

HEALTHY, sustainable and inclusive food systems are critical to achieve the country’s development goals.
Agricultural development is one of the most powerful tools to end extreme poverty, boost shared prosperity, and feed a projected 10 million people in PNG. Growth in the agriculture sector is two to four times more effective in raising incomes among the poorest compared to other sectors.
According to a World Bank report in September of 2023 on a global scale, agriculture is also crucial to economic growth; accounting for 4 pe cent of global gross domestic product (GDP) and in some least developing countries, it can account for more than 25 per cent of GDP.
For Central Province agriculture is at the heart of the Governor Rufina Peter having knowledge and a background in this field, the governor is well-placed to understand the impact that agriculture can have in the province. This has moved Governor Peter to fund and support two major agriculture impact projects in the province.
The agricultural projects are the Yaugala Cattle Farming Project conducted under the Varagadi Land Group Incorparated at Brown River which was given funding support of K200,000 and the bulb onion training and demonstration plots which will be conducted under the Highlands Potatoe Connections at Laloki in the Hiri Koiari District and 14-Mile just outside of Port Moreby, which was supported with K100,000. Funding for the projects was given by the Central Provincial Government.
“The extent of the impact will depend on the both of you, on how you run your farm business,” the governor told the recipients.
“The bulb onion guy has experience and you raising cattle its your first time you have support from my office with Michael Atuai who is the agriculture projects officer in my office, and there are livestock officers I know we can utilise.”
The funding was given in the presence of Hiri-Koiari MP Keith Iduhu who reached out to both receipients urging them to align their projects with his. The two projects will engage unemployed youths in the province who are sitting idle. Aready the Yaugala Cattle farming manager Elliot Mark Yamuje confirmed that six youths have been employed to assist with more to be engaged.
“Cattle farming died out in Central. Being part of the landowner group I want to bring that back and already we have started; we have 30 heads of cattle that we bought from our own funds from Rumion Farm in Lae that are grazing on 40 hectares of prime land.
“Already six youths are working for us and now with your funding support we can extend a little and now bring in two to three male bulls and ultimately we are looking at being the main distributor in the province suppliying beef to the Papua LNG Project,” Yamuje told Governor Peter.
The other project set to make a major impact is the bulb onion training and demonstration plots conducted under the Highalnds Potatoe Connections which will be a model and demonstration shown at Laloki and 14-Mile respectively.
Joshua Lumbalumba from Goroka is the man behind the bulb onion training, having his beginings in the highlands growing the bulb onion and relocating to Central. Lumbalumba claims that Central has the best climate to produce world class bulb onions that can replace the imported variety found in the shops and markets in Port Moresby.
“I am a farmer of different vegetables but initially I was discovered by Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA),” Lumbalumba said.
“They discovered me growing my own onions as I was the first to plant bulb onions up in Daulo. And they hired me to be the village extension worker for FPDA.
“This is where I shared my knowledge on bulb onion and this is where my knowledge was used to train villages in Gembogl and that’s how Gembogl onion is all over the market. I have my own farm and over the years I developed my knowledge on how to grow marketable sizes of bulb onions. The onions from Gembogl contain a lot of moisture compared to the ones at Daulo from where I’m from because there is heat. But I believe Central will have the best because the climate is perfect,” Lumbalumba stated.
The governor’s initial plan is to use the Laloki and 14-Mile bulb onion plots for training and demonstration models where those interested can learn about how to grow onions and take the knowledge back to their various districts in the province and teach others.

  • Story and pictures from the Office of the Central Governor