Put farmers’ interest first, officials told

Highlands

PROJECT officers working under World Bank-funded Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Project (PPAP) coffee component were told to put farmers’ interest first at all times.
This was the message from project manager Potaisa Hombunaka to the 42 officers who attended a recent training at Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) in Ukarumpa, Eastern Highlands.
He encouraged officers involved in the PPAP coffee component to continue to encourage all officers employed under the coffee industry rehabilitation partnerships to put farmers first in their duties.
“If you focus on the pay you will lose focus on the job, you’re here to serve the farmers,” Hombunaka said.
The training was attended by project coordinators, data entry clerks, extension officers and field assistants employed with partnerships under the PPAP.
The partnerships are with Hatavile Coffee Ltd, Research and Conservation Foundation (Crater Mountain farmers) and Obura-Wonenara Coffee Cooperative Society.
Hombunaka said the objective of the training was to ensure all project coordinators, extension officers, data entry clerks and field assistants understood what was required of them to operate as a team to successfully deliver the agreed coffee rehabilitation activities which included reviving existing gardens.
He said he expected the officers to accurately report input activities like distribution of tools and nursery seedlings and monitor outputs in terms of production, quality and others associated with improving the farmers’ livelihoods.
Bill Humphrey, the bcomponent two coordinator for Eastern zone, said the training was for field assistants helping extension officers but team building was a constant process. “This is why we bringing are everyone to make sure they understood their responsibilities,” he said.