Mom’s poultry business flourishes

By GLORIA BAUAI
MOTHER of four, Terry Uriningi, is a testament that a woman’s strength is her will to go on.
When her husband suffered a critical head injury in 2019 leaving him jobless and dependent on family, Uriningi took a risk.
She left her formal employment of 18 years to focus on her small-to-medium enterprise project while caring for her husband.
Completely different from her background in office administration, Uriningi focused on growing her poultry business.
Yet, it was an easy transition because the woman from Wosera-Gawi, East Sepik, was open to exploring opportunities.
Uriningi was lucky to have attended a short course on how to raise poultry, offered by National Agriculture and Research Institute (Nari) earlier.
Choosing to raise egg-laying chickens (layers), Uriningi bought her first carton from Zenag in 2016.
While still employed, she began her business research with the first 52 chicks.
“It was all trial and error for me but I saw that the income was good,” she said.
Uriningi took the opportunity to undertook a three-month personal viability course in Port Moresby, sponsored by The National.
“I already had business ideas, so this training was the guide I needed,” she said.
“We were taught about mind development and how to plan our life five to 10 years from now.
“I set my goals, set deadlines for each goal and my quarterly action plans.”
Her visionary book became her best friend where she refer back to, to cross out achieved goals.
Uriningi was set to progress with her business when her husband was injured in 2019. Today, she operates a rental house and canteen but, her egg business is the constant income generator which at times also covers any losses acquired from the canteen business.
Two more cartons has brought her layers up to 131 in total.
She collects 100 eggs on average in a day and sells at 70t despite their sizes.
“I don’t have a weighing machine to separate and sell according to their weights,” she said.
Since advertising on Facebook, Uriningi said demand has increased.
“Mostly are market mamas (mothers) who come requesting to buy in cartons, but my supply cannot meet that demand at this time,” She said.
She has already secured another piece of land which will accommodate the growing business.
Uriningi is also in discussion, to secure a permanent market space.
Her main challenge now is increasing stock feed price which has climbed from K87 in 2016 to K101 at the moment.
“Institutions such as Nari should teach us how to produce our own feed to help us minimise our cost and increase our income,” she said.
The mum-of-four proved that nothing is impossible if you try.
“Only when you try, you will know where to adjust and pickup,” she said.
“More importantly, you have to set goals on how you want your life to fare out; and that goal must be on paper so every time you see your goals, it would drive you to achieve them.”