Locals go into rice farming with assistance from partners

The National National
Farmers in the Gaulim ward, Inland Baining local level government of Gazelle, East New Britain planting rice. – Nationalpic by ROSELYN ELLISON

MORE than 100 farmers in the three wards of the Inland Baining local level government, Gazelle district in East New Britain have started rice farming.
They are from the Gaulim, Vunga and Avungi wards.
Gaulim ward member Hosea Kaelam said the New Zealand Volunteer Services Aboard and the Organisation for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement (OISCA) were supporting rice farming.
OISCA rice expert Daniel Joseph and VSA programme manager Johannes Gambo gave 26kg bags of rice seedlings to the farmers to share three weeks ago. On Friday, the farmers started planting rice.
“My farm is like a training venue or classroom to farmers,” Kaelam said.
“They come here to get the training from the rice expert.
“And after the training they will apply what they have learnt at their farms.”
People are interested because rice will complement crops such as peanut and taro.