MP sets focus on agriculture

By GABRIEL LAHOC
MARKHAM member elect, Paul Isikiel, has prioritised agriculture, infrastructure and clean water supply system for his Markham district and vowed to achieve them in the next five years.
Isikiel, who is the first People’s National Congress party’s elected leader in Morobe and the Mamose region, held his first press conference yesterday in Lae in the presence of party vice president, Garette Kissing.
Thanking the people of Markham for their confidence in him, Isikiel pledged to improve Markham district, which despite being the food bowl of the country, had nothing to show for its agriculture,
Isikiel has been a big player in the district’s agri-business and recently exported two 20-foot containers to Spain.
He pledged to contribute to improve the status of cocoa farming and exports to become a major revenue earner for the people.
“This demonstrates clearly that we can continue to expand cocoa into all Markham villages and then export, which will impact on the livelihood of the people and improve their living standards,” Isikiel said.
 “I want to have a new coffee mill set up and go into direct export. My aim is basically to put money into the pocket of the small people and participate in economic development at the district level,” he said.