Farmer wants government agencies to assist projects

THE agricultural commodities in rural Yabim Mape local level government (LLG), Finschhafen, Morobe, needs attention from government agencies to help develop projects on the ground, a local farmer says.
Siugin Bokoi said some famers in Yabim Mape have started planting cash crops such as cocoa, rice and vanilla and need access to markets.
Bokoi said in Mape, he had planted three hectares of cocoa containing 2,500 tress, rice and two hectares of vanilla.
There are other farmers who have started planting cash crops as well as garden foods that are in demand.
Yabim Mape LLG is one area that cash crop cultivation is high but the farmers have claimed that the Agriculture and Livestock division in the district together with other government agencies are not providing support.
“We have gone a step further in establishing plantations of cocoa, vanilla and other farming crops like rice. But the hold back to really make it profitable for us is access to markets and the availability of those markets,” he said.
Boki said training was also another area that farmers lacked.
He said, with better training and assistance, farmers can learn techniques to produce quality and quantity to the standard required.
Bokoi said the district development authority has to prioritise agriculture and fisheries.
He said many people were involved in these areas.