Heavy rain destroy homes

PEOPLE living in the Waghi lowlands of Western Highlands province had their homes, crops and domestic animals devastated by heavy rains and floods this month.
Among the properties destroyed, were more than 300 fish ponds belonging to local farmers in the Anglimp South-Waghi district swept away by the rushing tides.
Fish farming was new to the area and fish farmers sold their catches from K6 to K20 each depending on the weight and size.
In the Tombil area in Minj, a carp farming nursery was washed away completely last Wednesday, killing some 3,000 fish and destroying 30 ponds belonging to
the Tombil Training
Resource Centre.
According to owner, Joseph Kru, the carp farm supplied fish to people in the Highlands region who were interested in the fish farming industry.
He said he had started the farm in 1994 under the Lutheran development service (LDS) didiman programme, and last year became attached with the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI).
He said his farm was also a research centre for NARI and a trial demonstration area for the Australian centre for international research (ACIAR).
Mr Kru, who was the Highlands regional farm trainer, said his 15 years of hard work to set the farm up and thousands of money spent had been washed away and would have to start again.
He said he was at a loss, but would revive his farm again because he enjoyed what he did as a trainer, farmer and supplier of fish to new fish farmers throughout the region.
He said he also had another three hectares of vegetable farms at the same place, which were destroyed by the flood.