Potato farmers receive K700,000 agro support

SIXTY-four cooperatives in Kundiawa-Gembogl, Chimbu, received K700,000 and potato seedlings under the district’s agriculture and small to medium enterprise cold supply chain programme on Sunday.
The cooperatives comprise farmers from Waiye, Nilgkande and Mitnande local level governments.
Each cooperative received K10,000.
Early last month, the district administration facilitated a two-week training for the cooperatives.
It assisted the farmers in registering their cooperatives with the Investment Promotion Authority and opening bank accounts with BSP.
Local MP William Onglo challenged the farmers to have a business mindset and use the money wisely to boost their production levels.
Onglo said quality fresh produce would be purchased and transported by the district’s agriculture company, AgroTech Ltd, to Port Moresby and Lae markets.
“If you make your cooperative profitable and sustainable with good financial reports furnished to my district administration, I will increase the support funding to K20,000,” he said.
Onglo said the aim was to boost agriculture production in his district.
Waiye ward 15 councillor Peter Blacky, Nilgkande LLG president Alois Gende and Mitnande councillor Alois Gandua thanked the district administration for the support.
The district administration has purchased a truck and four refrigerated containers to transport fresh produce from Kundiaw-Gembogl to Lae; several new machineries and vehicles for district road works company CivWorks Ltd to upgrade agriculture roads.
All agriculture and farming activities in the district will be overseen by AgroTech Ltd.
The district has an ongoing partnership with stakeholders such as the Fresh Produce Development Agency, Department of Agriculture and Livestock and City Pharmacy Ltd’s Stop & Shop supermarkets.