Medicinal herb helps young farmer earn income

By ELVIRA GELE
NETTLE is a traditional medicinal herb used as a pain reliever by many Papua New Guineans.
Stinging nettle is common in undisturbed areas and in moist shady places.
It grows from an extensive network of rhizomes, continuously growing horizontal underground stem.
Henson Henry, a nettle farmer who has been growing the crop for the past five years, resides and grows his nettle in the cold climate conditions of Itiki on the Sogeri plateau in Central.
“I multiply the crop by simply pushing the stem into the soil as they grow and spread,” Henry said.
“I travel to the market every day to sell my harvest, even though transport to the market is yet another issue, I still manage to get there and sell everything I have brought.”
The young men said he was attending school, but because of financial difficulties he left and now sold nettle at the Boroko Market for K1 a bundle.
“I am happy with the profit I make from selling nettle. It is a fast selling plant and of high demand to customers who use as a pain reliever,” Henry said.