Society hosts meet

A RURAL village is a social institute that should ideally be changed into an economic one and co-operative societies are the vehicles to make that transition, Gioving Belong says.
Belong, a Cocoa Coconut Institute steering committee member and Morobe deputy provincial administrator corporate services, spoke highly of the Takom Cooperative Society made the comment at the end of a field day at Garam in Markham, Morobe province, last Wednesday.
The Takom Co-operative Society in Markham district is by chaired by Awa Mundugen, who is the principal of the Takom model farm, with its activities covering a variety of crops and livestock ranging from inland fish farms to piggery.
The institute chose the model farm as one of its two nurseries for cocoa and coconuts and budhood centre recently.
It hosted steering committee members, senior agriculture scientists and extensions officers last Wednesday as part of its pre-annual meeting field day programme.
The society impressed the institute with its excellent organisation, consistency and expansion, especially in cocoa production.
Institute officers praised on the society, which is attracting an increasing number of interested farmers after it was accepted into the district’s agriculture and livestock division programme through a five-year partnership.
The society has 150 farmers who are required to buy shares.
“Takom is very active and its notable consistency is organising its members, it is impressive that their group is held together,” Belong said.
He said the government had previously put more effort on individual farmers but that had not produced the desired results, especially in improving rural economies and empowering villagers.
He said another factor was that the people or farmers were too complacent in their attitude and were not passionate to change and develop.
“There are many areas the government should address and that includes motivating the farmers to organise their land and finances for economic prosperity,” he said.
He suggested greater financial help from the Rural Development Bank to farmers to enable them to tap into the huge potential in agriculture.