Project benefiting 70,000

MORE than 70,000 people from Jiwaka and Western highlands are benefiting from the Productive Partnership in Agriculture Project (PPAP) implemented by the Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC), an official says.
The project is jointly funded by the World Bank, International Fund for Agriculture Development, and the Government.
Apart from assisting coffee farmers, it helps in the development of infrastructure such as bridges and roads.
PPAP manager Potaisa Hombunaka said from a K300 million loan, CIC was given K130 million to roll out the project in 2011.
Hombunaka said they built roads linking rural communities to the main road.
He said in Jiwaka, K23.5 million was spent to build three roads and assist 4000 coffee farmers. The road will benefit about 54,000 people in the province.
In Western highlands, Hombunaka said K14.2 million was spent to build two roads and assist 6000 coffee and vegetable farmers.
About 22,000 people are now benefiting from the roads.
The project will end on Dec 31.
“I want to appeal to the Jiwaka and Western Highlands governments to allocate money in your annual budgets and maintain these roads in the years to come,” he said.
Hombunaka said apart from fresh produce and coffee farmers, schools, health centres, sick people, pregnant mothers, trade store owners, in and others were also benefiting from these roads