Farming key to strong economy, food security: Official

TAKING Papua New Guineans back to the land to utilise the soil is the solution to ending many cross-cutting issues affecting the country, an official says.
Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA) general manager Mark Worinu said farming was one of the main activities that could help address cross-cutting issues like food security, poverty, malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, unemployment, lawlessness, domestic violence, gender inequality, and drug and alcohol abuse.
“When everyone is engaged in farming, you will note that poverty can be alleviated, food security can be achieved, and there will be a drastic drop in social problems because people will keep themselves busy on their land,” he said.
“Papua New Guineans are born farmers because agriculture is in their blood.
“The biggest advantage is that our people own most of the land. If our people can fully utilise their land with agricultural activities like farming, we should have many successful people.
“The biggest problem with our people is that we are very lazy.
“We don’t want to work.
“We just wait and expect free things.
“But we forget that nothing comes free in life. When we work, we have food to eat.
“If we don’t work we have no food.
“We go hungry and start stealing. Food is the common denominator to life.
“If we don’t eat, we die.
“We hear people robbing banks and stealing.
“Some become K5 bus crews.
“They do all these just to put food on the table for themselves and their loved ones.
“This is a result of hunger and poverty caused by laziness.
“All human activity is centred on making food available for consumption.”
Worinu added that FPDA wanted to see people engaging in commercial farming to have enough nutritious food and cash to sustain their daily lives.
“Imagine a country without farmers? Life is not possible.
“Farmers are the heart and soul of an entire nation because they provide food for everyone,” he said.