Chimbu looks to yield onions

CHIMBU will soon be producing dry bulb onions of the same quality as what is currently being imported from New Zealand and Australia, an official says.
Simbu Farmers Marketing Limited business manager Morris Kaupa told The National yesterday that a bulb onion drying machine bought from New Zealand would  be arriving in Lae this weekend.
“We brought a new mechanical bulb onion dryer from Auckland in New Zealand,” Kaupa said.
“It’s like a 20-foot container that got fitted with everything.
“So when you put your bulb onion there, it will take about 48 hours to dry five to seven tonnes.
“The dryer is made to our specification by taking the ambient temperature for the Chimbu.”
Kaupa said the machine would be used to remove access water and the moisture content in the bulb onions to improve the quality and extend its shelf-life.
“It’s an achievement for the people of Chimbu, the Simbu government and the company.
“We should be selling dry bulb onions produced from here in Simbu (by the end of April or first week of May).
“Chimbu is rugged, mountainous and we only depend on human resource.
“But we are now trying to venture into the agriculture sector, starting with bulb onions.”