Rice growers to get mill

PEOPLE living on the border of Chimbu and Jiwaka provinces will soon have access to a rice mill and new roads, thanks to a partnership between the district and provincial governments.
The rice mill will be co-funded by Kerowaghi MP Bari Palma and Chimbu Governor Michael Dua as part of their joint district development initiatives.
On Saturday, the two men visited Nigl Gogl village located a few kilometres across the Waghi River from Kumbal market.
Palma commended the community, who were engaged in rice farming along the banks of the river, for taking the initiative.
“Rice is a commodity that not many farmers tend to cultivate even though it has the potential to produce outstanding yields in the Highlands,” he said.
“With the amount of harvest made in this area, I’m confident you can extend your rice project further.
“As part of my agriculture plan for the district, the governor and I will assist you with a rice mill that you can use to process your harvest.
“It’s a very good project as it will bring in income for the families and also for self-consumption.”
He then made a commitment to purchase a ploughing machine that the community could use to plough their land to do more rice planting.
Dua and Palma jointly opened the Namar to Nigl Gogl road – a project initiated and constructed by the people.
Palma made an undertaking to pay those who helped build the road link in the area.
“Since these people are living on the border of Chimbu and Jiwaka, I am appealing to the Jiwaka provincial government to assist them as well as following a memorandum of understanding between the two provincial governments that we have signed at Druamugl in Chimbu in 2018 to help develop border areas,” he said.
“Also, as part of border development initiatives, I will be spearheading a fresh produce market building at Kumbal along the Highlands highway and I’m inviting the two provincial governments to support the project,” Palma said.