Solar-powered machines make light work on the farm

Business

A SECOND rollout of solar-powered rice milling machinery took place on Saturday at Wampit village, Huon Gulf in Morobe.
Markham received its equipment on Thursday,
This was made possible through the Australian Incentive Fund.
National Agriculture Research Institute (Nari) director Dr Sergie Bang said the project was about encouraging the community to work together in the area of food security.
He said it also enabled the community to earn an income through agriculture.
“The project we are rolling out is funded by the Australian government and people of Australia through the incentive fund,” Bang said.
“Nari is the lead implementer in partnership with Trukai Industries Ltd, Project Support Services, the Morobe division of agriculture and livestock, and PNG Women in Agriculture.
“We are all working together to put this project into operation.”
He said 70 solar-powered rice milling machines would be delivered to rural communities in the nine districts of Morobe.
Nari will train farmers to operate the machinery. Bang said the project promoted gender equality.
“Annually, PNG spends over K300 million to import rice,” he said. “The quantity is at 250,000 tonnes.
“This project encourages farming of rice in the communities.
“When the mill is around, it helps reduce the labour of removing rice husks which is an obstacle that causes people not to involve themselves in rice farming. We are giving out rice-milling machinery to each community and encouraging them to grow rice.”
Meanwhile, machinery worth K192,000 was delivered to 12 farming groups in Markham on Thursday under the same programme.
The farming groups that received the solar-powered rice-milling machinery were Antir, Ragiampum, Zunagurun, Wafibampun, Antiragin, Biring, Umi Manzarang, Orori, Takom, Back Street Intoap, Itsir Atupan and Lavai (backstreet).
The handover of the machinery to rice growers in Mutzing is part of a pilot project that targets 30 rice-growing communities in Morobe.