IAI chairman says transport, utilities cost ‘big challenge’

INNOVATIVE Agro Industry (IAI) PNG chairman Ilan Weiss says transport costs are a big challenge as well as cost of utilities and communications.
Nevertheless, he added, IAI was continuously developing its seven farming sites at Koroba in Hela, Pangia in Southern Highlands, Sirunki in Enga, Tabubil in Western and Ilimo and 9-Mile in Port Moresby.
Weiss said IAI was working closely with partners to create a path to commercial banking services, micro-finance and financial literacy training for its farmers.
“We are working with partners to develop a pilot programme to make the nutritional benefits of fresh milk available to a larger segment of the community that need it the most,” he said.
“We see a bright future for PNG in the agriculture sector.
“We look forward to developing more and more agriculture projects around the country.
“I’m proud to say that problem-solving is a real strength of the IAI team here in PNG.
“This involves listening and constant face-to-face engagement with the communities in which we operate.
“Developing outgrower models that work for a community in one area doesn’t always work in another area of PNG.
“IAI operates projects from Enga to Central. We have learned to listen over time.
“We are often led by our local communities when it comes to developing models that work for them.
“A good example of a model that is developed for a specific community is the Enga AIC model that creates employment opportunities for female workers from the local community, encouraging rural women’s participation in commercial agriculture operations, teaching them new skills.
“Female participation in farming cooperatives can help to achieve economies-of-scale to access markets and reduce isolation, while building confidence, leadership and security.
“Women are an integral part of community-building and involving them in projects that teach them new skills are essential to empowering women.”
“Finding a way to do this without battling cultural norms and disrupting the communities’ way of life was the challenge faced by Enga AIC in creating employment opportunities for female farmers when the project first came online.
“The model currently used by the local community to ensure female participation, as employees of the farm, is a first for any agribusiness operation in the province.
“Households support each other to ensure that women are given the required time to hold a job in the farm.
“This is a solution developed by the communities themselves.”