Chimbu community’s onion project thriving

 A SMALL farming community in Chimbu has started exporting bulb onions.

The community of Womkana in the Gembogl district in association with the Individual Reform and Restoration Movement (IRRM), has been farming bulb onions since 2005 and last week exported 6 tonnes worth more than K14,000 to a buyer in Port Moresby.

Coordinator Tobby Sundu said this was the first and largest export by a local farming group in Gembogl since the introduction of bulb onions to the area.

“Interest has been shown in the work IRRM has been doing in venturing into major bulb onion production,” Sundu said.

“Then at last we have moved 6125kg of quality bulb onions out of Womkama village for shipment to Port Moresby. And this is first and so far the largest domestic export of the vegetable out of Gembogl.”

Sundu said the buyer, Alotau Enterprises, had paid for the transportation of the onions out of the farm and shipment cost to Port Moresby through a contractor.

He said they had shown interest to start fortnightly purchases.

Alotau Enterprises costing and purchasing manager Burt Therez said they were happy to help local farmers.

Therez added that they usually imported bulb onions from Australia to sell, but they were now looking to buy locally.

The Womkama farmers were currently selling their bulb onions at K2.30 per kilogram.