Markham farming society launched

National

AN agriculture cooperative society in Markham, Morobe, with nearly 600 members was launched on Wednesday by provincial chairman for agriculture and Markham MP Koni Iguan.
The Agi-Agro Cocoa Project and Cooperative Society from Zumim which started in 2001 had come a long way and received two motorbikes, farming tool kits and clonal seedlings.
In 2014, with the support of NGIP Agmark through the programme Productive Partnership in Agriculture Project (PPAP), the society had picked up in the production of cocoa.
Agi-Agro, along with other cocoa farmers in Markham, produced 37 per cent of the export revenue for Morobe that saw the province exporting K22 million worth of cocoa beans last year.
It was revealed that about K5 million had gone into the district and in people’s pockets.
Iguan acknowledged the cooperative society, saying that it believed in itself.
“You believe in yourself that if you plant something on the ground,tomorrow it will help you,” he said.
“I acknowledge the Cocoa Board and the partners for coming and telling us the way to plant cocoa and earn income from the cash crop. And with the Cocoa Board’s guidance, we are slowly reaching the mark of quality cocoa.
“I have talked with the district development authority members, I will summon all the cooperative societies to come under one umbrella so we have control.
“In doing so, the money put in one teapot can flow down to all small cooperative societies.”
Iguan wants to see people working together and not creating small groups.