Local farmers finally get attention, make first shipment

Business

RURAL bulb onion farmers in Gembogl, Chimbu, who struggled to get Government’s attention for access to markets have been finally reached.
The farmers produced 407 bags of onions (equivalent to 12 tonnes) and assembled them at Womatne recently with Kundiawa Gembogl district administrator Alphonse Kawagle and Agrotech Fresh Ltd manager Martin Tony there to see onions transported to Lae for shipment to Port Moresby.
Kawagle commended the farmers for their first shipment to Port Moresby.
“It is history in making because farming and marketing practices has reached another level.”
The mobilisation of the produce to reach new markets was organised by the Womkama Bulb Onion Cooperative which was registered to drive rural farmers’ market needs.
The cooperative’s spokesman Toppy Sundu said the bulb onion cooperative was in a business partnership with Kundiawa Gembogl company Agrotech Fresh Ltd which aimed to facilitate government policy in agriculture.
The initiative taken up by Kundiawa Gembogl MP William Gogl Onguglo was timely and beneficial as revenue earned from the cooperative had gone to paying for school fees.
“We are expected to make another shipment in two weeks and this time we will include potatoes,” he said.
Onguglo urged the people in the district to use their land to farm cash crops as a market for their produce had been established.
Onguglo acknowledged Agrotech Fresh Ltd, Kundiawa Gembogl DDA and Oxfam International for providing technical and financial support to address farmers’ market needs.

One thought on “Local farmers finally get attention, make first shipment

  • Way forward….Congratulations to visionary Toppy Sundu and his cooperative.. The MP has done tremendously with the new market..I hope every smallholder farmers are accessing this market too..Agriculture is the means to income..Real Economic Empowerment!! Long Live MP..The real Red Scorpion!! U touchim heart blo ol man. Nau they can sell their produce at a bettter Price. Tokim MP for Agriculture to lo stoppim fresh vegetables export!!

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