Retailers of poultry, garden produce eyed

By Lemach Lavari
A COMPANY has launched a small business scheme that will employ people as retailers of poultry and garden produce.
Partners in Change Poultry Solutions launched its Wantok SME scheme yesterday in Port Moresby.
Project head Bruce Paki said the company had been supplying poultry products such as eggs and day-old chicks to retailers in Port Moresby since last year.
He said the products were airlifted from Lae. The main suppliers are Niugini Tablebirds and Zenag Chicken. They have 500 registered retailers of eggs and chicken in Port Moresby.
He said they sold live chicks to retailers and bought back market-ready chicken after six weeks.
“That is a guaranteed market for our members,” Paki said.
With the launching of the scheme, the company hopes to engage with more retailers in selling fresh garden produce too, he said.
“Wantok SME is a platform for entrepreneurs,” Paki said.
Paki is a pilot and director of cooperate services for Airborne Logistics. He said airlifting produce from outside Port Moresby was done by Airborne Logistics.
They have been bringing in produce from places such as Mt Hagen, Koiari and Goilala in Central for three years.
They will do the same for the scheme.
Transportation of products to retailers in Port Moresby will be free.
The cost of transportation will be covered in the registration fee each member pays. The fee is a one-off payment of K250, Paki said.