Enga farm to export strawberries

By GYNNIE KERO
Strawberries grown at the Sirunki Farm in Enga will be exported to a market in Singapore in two months, according to Governor Sir Peter Ipatas, pictured.
He said yesterday he was keen to see all six districts in the province have their own nucleus agriculture projects.
Sirunki Farm grows strawberries and potatoes, most of which are supplied to shops in Port Moresby.
As part of the Sirunki Farm extension, another 38 hectares of state land at Tsak Valley in Wapenamanda district has been ploughed to grow more potatoes, strawberries and bulb onions.
Strawberries, potatoes and onions have created opportunities for the people to stay in their communities and earn an income.
The agriculture project in the province is a partnership between Enga provincial government and Israeli company Innovative Agro Industry (IAI) at a cost of K23 million.
The Enga government will chip in K17 million while the balance will come from the IAI.
Sirunki farm manager Liran Tziberman and a team from the provincial agriculture office have distributed potato and strawberry seedlings to Yogos village in Task valley for planting.
Tziberman told the Sikin tribesmen and women at Tsak: “I will supply more seeds when I see cultivated land ready to raise potatoes by individuals in the valley.”
Sir Peter yesterday commended the cooperation his people, especially the Sikin tribe, had demonstrated towards the project at Tsak.
He was optimistic that exporting Sirunki strawberries to the Singapore market would bring in some foreign exchange.