Nadzab rice farmers get kits from Trukai Industries

The National Business

FARMERS from the Nadzab area in Morobe received village sustainability kits (VSK) from Trukai Industries to assist them with their rice farming.
Trukai rice development manager Aina Davis said the VSK were donated to three model farmers who would be caretakers of the equipment, which would cater to more than 30 farmers from Gabsongek village.
This group of farmers have transitioned their method of farming from dryland rice farming to irrigation rice farming under Trukai Industries’ Smart Farmer project.
While presenting the kits to the farmers, Davis told them that the support that Trukai had given through the donation would greatly benefit them.
“I urge you all to take ownership of this farming programme which you will benefit from the donation of these village sustainability kits,” Davis said.
“This will help you in the long run.”
One of the model farmers, Paul Laban, thanked Trukai Industries’ for its support for their farming projects.
“Thank you Trukai Industries for recognising us as we are only village rice farmers,” Laban said.
“These kits and the skillsets imparted by your field team will greatly help us and in turn help our communities by encouraging more farmers to join this programme,” he said.
Trukai Industries chief executive officer Alan Preston said the donation was timely as most of the farmers in Gabsongek were transitioning from dryland rice farming to irrigation rice farming.
“Trukai Industries’ current Smart Farmer project aims to shift traditional dryland rice farming to smart farming using an irrigation system,” Preston said.
“The project ensures the farmers are equipped with knowledge and skills of irrigation farming and this donation of the village sustainability kits will greatly help the farmers of Gabsongek village.”
Through its small holder rice development programme, Trukai Industries offers support in terms of the VSK, technical expertise and paddy market access.The VSK is supplied to genuine irrigation farmers who develop and build their skillsets to be model farmers.