Namatanai farmers make K11.7mil selling veggies

FARMERS in Namatanai, New Ireland, have made around K11.7 million from selling vegetables and fruits to the Walters Farmers Association, according to MP Walter Schnaubelt. On average, revenue made per day is about K18,000 from Monday to Friday since December 2018. “Around K11.7 million has been spent on purchasing fresh veggies and fruits from farmers in Namatanai district,” Schnaubelt told The National. The buying point was set up by the Namatanai Advanced Ltd (NAL), the Namatanai development authority’s business arm.  The initiative is to buy fresh produce from the farmers to the Lihir Gold Ltd with an initial three-year contract between NAL and the NCS (Newcrest Catering Services) Ltd. NCS gets 40 per cent of the customers’ rations. “Prime Minister James Marape has been vocal about developing the agriculture sector, and Namatanai is moving in that direction with the establishment of the association buying point in Namatanai, with K2.4 million generated annually,” Schnaubelt said. “This is a direct benefit injected into the district’s economy and would impact the lives of many rural people like never before.”