ENB farmers need to set up business plan

A GROUP of women farmers has been challenged to come up with ways to supply local markets with food in the face of increasing in imported foodstuff.
Dr John Moxon, manager for the World Bank-funded project called Productive Partnerships in Agriculture programme, challenged members of the Women in Agriculture Association in East New Britain and others who attended the agriculture show in Kerevat.
Moxon, a long-time officer at NARI, said the demand in the local market was high for rice and poultry products such as eggs and chickens.
These products continue to be supplied from outside the province.
“Every month, rice is imported to ENB in containers. Why is this so when we can plant rice ourselves?
“Poultry such as eggs come from Lae when ENB can produce eggs right here in the province.”
Moxon said food imports were coming into ENB every month and the association’s members must come up with ways to supply the local market with food.
He said the secret to success depended on proper organisation and a business plan.
He acknowledged the success and commitment of the ENB women in agriculture but urged them to have a business plan to go a step further.
Moxon said women in agriculture had partnered with other stakeholders in the development and research on planting and selling food crops.
Moxon said there was a big demand for food crops in Port Moresby where prices were high because of the increase in urban population.
“If organised well, ENB could be supplying taro to Port Moresby,” he said.
He said NARI had established the taro industry in ENB to supply the markets in Port Moresby and New Zealand.
“Now is not the time to do research but to start putting plans into action and to find business partners, a good market chain and finance to start the taro business.
“The national government and ENB provincial government provide an enabling environment and support the United Nations resolutions on women in development.”
He said the programme he managed was a government project funded by the World Bank and implemented by PNG Cocoa Board to improve rural livelihoods and strengthen the cocoa value chain.