Rigo can supply city with vegetables, fruits

 RIGO district has the potential to supply the National Capital District and Central with fruits and vegetables if funded appropriately, says Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA).

FPDA programme manager for information management and communication John Lark Kewa said Central people, especially from inland Rigo, need political support to venture into fruits and vegetables farming because they have vast arable land.

Kewa and a team went to the Kokebagu farm at Kwikila yesterday, run by Tony Diro that grows sweet banana, corn and brown onion, orange, eggplant and round cabbage.

Diro said Kokebagu farm has 1200 hectares but it grew just a few crops on less than 50 hectares, while the rest is yet to be developed.

“Since I took over from the plantation, which had mainly coconut, rubber and cocoa in 1995 after a foreign company left, I started planting kaukau and banana. 

“But I never received any funding from the Government or training from any agricultural extension officers from the district or province.

“Liog (his wife) and I ran and managed the farm with our own skills, which we learnt from attending one-month training in Indonesia in 1995,” Diro said. He said he had trained local people to do their own farming and changed the lives of many youths, who were involved in criminal activities and Kwikila was now a peaceful place.

People were willing to engage in farming but the real problem is financial support and irrigation systems.

Kewa agreed that Rigo could grow a variety of crops and vegetables and supply local markets but the real hardship was seed capital to start and water pumps for irrigation purposes as it was a very dry electorate with only few rivers.

Kokebagu farm supplies 1200 kilograms of sweet bananas, apart from onions, eggplants and other vegetables to six City Pharmacy Ltd shops in Port Moresby, Boroko Food World, Water Front and National Catering Services, which then supplies to the Murray and Taurama army barracks.