Funding boost for rubber farmers

MORE than 20,000 rubber famers in Western are expected to benefit from a US$60 million (K193.8 million) funding support from the Papua New Guinea Sustainable Development Programme (PNGSDP).
The funding is the result of negotiations between the programme and the four local MPs, led by Governor Taboi Awi Yoto.
North Fly MP James Donald said the funding would be used over the next 10 years to develop the rubber industry to provide a sustainable income for farmers in the province.
Donald said this deal would also help North Fly Rubber Limited by strengthening its management systems.
“We have tried to consider the freight subsidy and price stabilisation for the farmers” he said.
“The need here is to immediately increase the price of cuplump latex purchased from the farmers at wet weight or farm door price.
“We have also realised that North Fly Rubber Limited will, from its reserve funds, increase the price by 20 toea to K1.40 per kilo next month. A further increase in price is expected to hit K2.50 or more by the end of this year.”
Donald, a former rubber factory manager in Kiunga, said that under the programme, more extension officers would be recruited.
This would create more job opportunities for graduates and school leavers, including the re-hiring of North Fly Rubber Ltd employees who were retrenched some years back.
Donald said there was a need to increase the volume of rubber going into the Kiunga factory, with another factory expected to be built on Sturt Island in Middle Fly.
“With this announcement, I urge all my North Fly rubber farmers to start gearing up to refocus on your rubber plantations and do maintenance and start tapping rubber,” he said.
“This is the only cash crop we have that we’ve all invested years ago with our grandparents and now we must harvest it with more commercial arrangement.”