K359,000 for ESP farmers

ELEVEN local farming groups in Wewak received cheques worth over K359, 000 from the East Sepik provincial fisheries division and the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) to assist them in fish farming activities in their villages.
These groups missed out in the first part of the payment and were placed on the reserved list when the project development funds (PDF) from NFA was exhausted earlier in the year.
Fisheries division senior advisor Willie Sangi said the groups would not be able to cash the cheques because they were paid to the hardware suppliers. Instead, the groups had to go and pick the items requested for in their quotations.
Mr Sangi told The National last Friday that PDF was an ongoing assistance scheme from NFA and was paid to farmers every year as a way of supporting and helping them to be self- sustaining, thus boosting the economy of the province.
He said they had been working closely with farmers from the Wewak islands and areas along the Sepik River and they would now be looking at farmers from inland areas like Wosera and Maprik who are interested in fish farming activities.