Mori calls on Nawaeb to join cooperatives

MINISTER for Commerce and Industry Wera Mori has urged the people of Nawaeb in Morobe to join of cooperative associations to ensure equal participation.
He attended the handing over of 57 coffee pulping machines for the Irumu Coffee Group (Fafo Cooperative), a partner under the Productive Partnership Agriculture Projects coffee component last Friday.
“The Governments’ focus now is on agriculture, to create employment and establish SMEs. We have industrial centres like Malahang in Lae. But that is in town. It will not benefit a lot of people in the rural areas,” Mori said.
“But for cooperatives taking part in agricultural activities, a lot of families and smallholder farmers in rural areas can benefit.
“Cooperatives will support people to be in their village and farm their land.
“Their produce when exported to markets overseas will bring in foreign reserves to strengthen our economy.”
Also present at Rabisap village in the Wain/Erap local level government of Nawaeb was the director of SMEC Momase region Fred Nimme, MP Kennedy Wenge and project coordinator John Napo.
Napo, from Niugini Coffee Tea and Spice Ltd, a partner in the PPAP coffee project in Morobe, applauded the public-private partnership.
“This project has been going on for three years since 2017, and involved six cooperative societies from four districts in Morobe.
The government can build schools, hospitals and roads but without money, people in rural areas cannot access these government services.
“When rural farmers grow coffee to sell and participate in SME activities, they are able to pay and access these government services.”
Wenge committed K200,000 and thanked the PPAP partners for setting an example.
Mori also committed K200,000 to help the cooperative groups venture into SME operations.