Iguan challenges villagers to support local agriculture

MARKHAM MP Koni Iguan has challenged rural communities and villagers in the country to support local agriculture products encourage small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the agriculture sector.
“These are the very people who work hard to produce quality local products that are rich in nutrition and other food chemicals,” Iguan said.
“We buy our local product, we support our provincial economy and country’s economy as well, so that the government will not spend millions of kina importing rice into the country.”
Iguan, who is also Agriculture and Livestock vice-minister, was speaking at an opening of a solar rice milling machine at Atupan village in Markham, Morobe on Friday.
The project was an Australian-funded project worth K2.5 million for 30 communities in Morobe.
The National Agriculture Research Institute (Nari) was the lead agency in implementation of the project with the support of PNG Women in Agriculture Development Foundation, Trukai Industry, Project Support Services and Morobe government.
The programme is aimed at promoting food security and encourage local farmers to produce quality rice with accessible resources and machinery.
He thanked Atupan Women and Youth Agriculture president Eileen Daniels for taking the initiative to work with Nari and PNG and Australia government Partnership Incentive Fund to build the solar rice mill in the district.
“If we work hard to carry out such projects other government departments and donor agencies responsible in the sector will assist if they see evidence of your work on the ground like what Daniels and the community have done,” Iguan said.