Markham society praised for being first to register

THE Takom Cooperative Society has been hailed as the only recognised registered cooperative in Markham district, Morobe province.
District programme manager for agriculture and livestock, Dakia Wokio said the Takom Cooperative Society had met all requirements in registering.
Wokio made the comment after the end of an integrated pest and disease management cocoa training programme last week at the Takom model farm.
The training was conducted by the Cocoa Coconut Institute, which chose the farm as a training and nursery point in the district.
Institute provincial programme manager Peter Homu praised the Takom Cooperative Society for being organised, saying it would pave the way for it to be developed into a central processing facility.
“This will cut out middleman organisations that are involved in the cocoa trade internationally,” he said.
Society chairman Awa Mundugen said member farmers paid K100 as shares through the Markham commerce office at Mutzing.
Mundugen said the society had committed itself to working under the district programme for the first five years.