Fruits and veges change Kindeng

The National Weekender
HORTICULTURE
Robinson Kale and members of his lead farmers with FPDA Corporate Services Director John Pono and Deputy Secretary for Department of Agriculture and Livestock Francis Daink during the the handover of a new truck for farmers in Kindeng, Jiwaka recently.

By ZACHERY PER
SIXTY-year old Robinson Kale is fighting to realise a life-time dream to see Papua New Guineans eating locally grown fruits and vegetables of high nutritional value.
“Our own country needs fruits and vegetables, our own people are not eating good fruits and vegetables. Already fruits and vegetables are very expensive like other basic food items in the shops,” Kale said.
In an interview at Kale Fruits and Vegetables farm in Kindeng village in Jiwaka recently, Kale raised grave concerns over the short supply of fresh fruits and vegetables on dinner tables.
“Our own people are eating rubbish, they feed on kaukau leaves and watercress from the sewerage ponds. What is happening here? We have a vast land mass lying idle, we are not producing enough fruits and vegetables to feed our people,” he said.
Kale is a leading fruits and vegetable supplier in the highlands region supplying supermarket chains in Port Moresby, the PNG Defence Force mess, Porgera gold mine and a number of catering companies in PNG.
“Being a farmer is a noble profession. I was born to be a farmer and I love farming but I could not feed everyone. In developed countries, farmers are highly respected millionaires but in PNG, farmers are usually poor people,” he said.
In his childhood days in 1965, Kale migrated from Wapanamanda in Enga to settle in the fertile Kindeng area in Jiwaka with his parents.
He went to Kindeng Primary School and did secondary education at Paglum and Kabiufa High Schools.
“I completed form one to form four (grades 7 to 10) at Kabiufa High School from 1974-1977. I wanted to be an agriculturalist so I went to Popondetta Agricultural College in Oro.

Managing Director of Kale Fruits and Vegetables Supplies Robinson Kale chatting with MVF staff at his Kindeng village early this month.

I got malaria so I withdrew, came back and joined the Banz Yangpela Didiman programme,” he said.
Kale then attended Hagen Agriculture Training Institution (HATI) near Mt Hagen Western Highlands but he was inconsistent in attending classes as he was sick.
“In 1984, I joined the Enga Provincial Agriculture division.I stayed there for a short period and got a job in Ok Tedi Mine as a spare parts salesman. I worked for only three years and returned to Kindeng village and got back to farming the land,” he said.
Since them Kale has been cultivating fruits and vegetables. Before venturing further out, he was mainly selling his produce at Mt Hagen city market and other available markets.
He said the Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA) came across to him in 1990 and together they conducted vegetable farmers’ trainings.
“A few companies realised my efforts and were interested in buying my vegetables but did not pay a good price. I consistently produced vegetables and fruits until Porgera gold mining came on and there was need for fruits and vegetables. I planted many vegetables, sold them but on occasions I supplied them for free to my regular buyers also at discount prices,” he said.
“There were many customers who owe me a lot of money, say K12,000, K7,000, K2,000 and so forth. There was a buyer, a landowner from Porgera who owed K12,000. He could not afford to pay me, instead he took me to Porgera mine and introduced my vegetables and fruits to the mine. That was a great opportunity opened up for me. I made so much money and in appreciation I bought him a brand new Hilux from Ela Motors,” Kale said.
Since then Kale delivered at the start 700 kg vegetables. Today he is supplying six to seven tonnes every week to Porgera mine.

Kale Fresh Fruits and Vegetables farmers and Robinson Kale speaking at the recent gathering at Kindeng.

“I have been doing vegetables all my life, people rob me many times, my vehicles got into accidents, got bogged down, tribal fights stopped me, and I encountered road blocks but I am consistent as I have an interest in selling vegetables,” he said.
Kale said moving his produce by air and sea freight was expensive and risky because vegetables went bad quickly.
“I make a lot of losses but that doesn’t worry me because I am growing most of the vegetables myself on the land. One fine day, I was in Port Moresby selling vegetables as usual and there was a guy who came up to me and gave me K500 and asked, are you Mr Kale? He said his mother was selling ginger, and pumpkins to me back in Western Highlands until she passed on.
“The young man introduced himself to be as David. He told me that his mother was selling ginger and vegetables to me from the money she earned she paid his school fees and from there he became who he is today. I did not ask him what he is doing today but he might be an accountant or a lawyer or somebody like that.
“He is somewhere from WHP and his approach also motivated me. When we help people like that they go miles.”
Kale consistently maintains the operation of his Kale Fruits and Vegetables company and his group was a lucky recipient of a brand new twin steer truck with a chilling container mounted on the trailer.

One of the gardeners in an orange orchard at Kindeng village.

It is purchased through Fresh Produce Development Agency’s (FPDA) Market for Village Farmers (MVF) Project on a 50-50 basis. The project chipped in half and Kale Fruits and Vegetables provided half through bank loans. The farmers are now happy to ship their vegetables out much faster to their markets.
Kale’s wife Lorna Kale left her teaching job and helped him farming vegetables. They admit that they have no other businesses but are completely committed to farming.
“God blesses us; we have 200 farmers and the truck will help many of our farmers to transform their livelihoods,” Lorna Kale said.
She said FPDA’s MVF programme ws helping and the farmers were benefitting tremendously.
“Our God is compensating us for all the losses. The new truck is purely for fruits and vegetable deliveries. The chiller and truck is a great relief for us, we are looking for three or four chiller trucks to be on the road,” Kale said.
He also taught his children to do farming and the entire family is heavily involved in fruits and vegetable farming.
Kale’s 10-year-old son Emmanuel is the youngest on the farm today.
“Farming is a noble job and I am teaching my children and farmers to do farming to one day see Papua New Guineans eating quality fruits and vegetables.”