Farming project leaders call on govt for support

By TONY PALME
TEN newly established European Union-funded Farmer Resource Centre project leaders in the Highlands have called on the government for support to take farming to the next level.
Minj Resource Centre leader and Jiwaka Organic Food Farmers’ Association president Agnes Jonah said district MPs needed to fund the centres for research facilities and equipment.
This would enable National Agricultural Research Institute (Nari) officers and trainers to conduct training to lead farmers into extension programmes.
She thanked the European Union for funding “a very important intervention programme that will change the system of farming in the Highlands and PNG”.
“Agriculture is everybody’s business. Whether you are in the health sector, education or extractive sector, we all depend on agriculture,” Jonah said.
“I call on our district MPs to look at the farmer resource centres. They must chip in support so that their people go into these resource centres, obtain all necessary information and skills to get back to the land.”
Jonah said putting money into the agriculture sector will get people back to the land and enable them to live a self-reliant life.
She said rural farmers had the land and are natural agriculturalists but they did not have access to markets to sell their produce.
“This resource centre is like our information source.
“Our leaders must support it by putting in machines, computers, find markets and subsidise transport costs.
“Farming and agriculture are the only way we can address food security, economic poverty and health issues.
“Agriculture is the answer to address most of our cross-cutting issues but our leaders fail to recognise this.”
Resource centre project leaders for Ialibu Margret Kawa and Baiyer’s Susan Trapu voiced similar suggestions for funding support from their local MPs.