Gumine farmers sell first potato harvest

POTATOES grown by farmers in the Gumine, Chimbu, is being sold in Kundiawa town.
This month, 7.7 tonnes of potatoes were graded and sold as seeds and for consumption.
Gumine MP Nick Kuman started the project with the Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA).
Project technical team leader David Kaupa said the district and the FPDA focused on developing potatoes and bulb onions last year.
Kaupa said the first model farms were in the Gumine LLG with 10 model sites for seed potato production and distribution and three model nurseries for bulb onions.
He said initially 300kgs of seed potato were distributed to the 10 model sites.
Kaupa said total production volume from trial model farms was 7,700kgs.
“As per FPDA technical officers, production was quite impressive at initial phase,” he said.
“The farmers have really seen and felt the positive impact potato has created in a very short period of time.
“All people of Dirima-Yani wanted to engage in potato farming.”
Kaupa said potatoes left Gumine and Dirima for Kundiwa on March 5.