Rice growers’ society setting pace: Director

CHINGWAN Rice Growers’ Cooperative Society in the Markham Valley of Morobe is setting the pace for the rest of the country, says registrar of cooperative societies Stephen Sallun.
He said this on Friday as Chingwan, which grows Trukai’s popular Hamamas Rice, elected its seven office bearers.
“Chigwan is a success story as a co-operative society since its formation back in 2010,” Sallun said.
“After five years, major rice player in the country, Trukai, has assisted this cooperative society.
“It is a project that we are using as a pilot, and hope to use this model to apply to other places and provinces in the country.”
Sallun said such was the success of Chingwan that Papua New Guineans were now consuming the rice it grew.
He said the model could be replicated at Mul-Baiyer in Western Highlands, parts of Western and other parts of the country.
Sallun said under the Alotau Accord Two, the Government’s focus was on economic recovery, including rehabilitation of rundown plantations.
“This rehabilitation will be using cooperative model,” he said.
“The other is through small growers’ cooperatives.”
Sallun said cooperatives had the potential to generate income to help the economic recovery of the nation.