District to use infrastructure grant to support vanilla farmers

By BRADLEY MARIORI
THE Bulolo District administration in Morobe will be using its infrastructure grant to support a cooperative group in the district with a warehouse and offices, an official says.
Bulolo district administrator Taek Gwambelek announced during the presentation of the Mumeng District Vanilla Cooperative Society (MDVCS) export licence on Friday the plan to support the cooperative.
The vanilla export licence was given by the National Spice Industry Board (NSIB)
“The money given to us as district infrastructure grants will be used to help build a warehouse, offices, and a women’s meeting house,” he said.
Gwambelek thanked the provincial administration and Morobe Governor Ginson Saonu for the district infrastructure grant.
Morobe provincial administrator Bart Ipambonj said the provincial administration would support MDVCS to see that the project came to fruition.
Ipambonj congratulated the cooperative for earning their licence to export. “Exporting your vanilla to the US will bring a good amount of money back,” he told the cooperative.
Ipambonj committed K50,000 to support the cooperative and the farmers to grow and export more vanilla beans.
“You start something and we will step in to help,” he said.
“Do not depend on us to start you off.” ELCPNG (Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG) secretary Bernard Kaisom told the farmers that all their answers were in their land.