Supermarket supports local farmers by airfreighting vegetables

THE Stop & Shop supermarket has started airfreighting around a tonne of vegetables twice a week for consumers in Port Moresby.
SNS is the retail arm of the City Pharmacy Ltd Group.
Group managing director Mahesh Patel said: “We have started airlifting almost a tonne of veggies twice a week, which is almost double what we did before.
“The quantities keep increasing week by week as the customers get aware of its availability.
“We are also getting two full 20-foot containers by sea freight.”
Patel said hundreds of farmers were benefitting.
“We encourage all Papua New Guinean farmers to continue farming the land and continue to supply local produce,” he said.
“Papua New Guineans love their local produce, whether it’s kaukau (sweet potato), taro or banana.”
In the last few weeks, SNS has promoted Highlands fresh produce such as ferns, kim kimbi (rocket leaves), kim kun (curly parsley).
SNS marketing manager Regina Narokobi said it had given the Highlands community and others living in Port Moresby an opportunity to have their favourite highlands greens.
Narokobi said SNS would continue to buy local produce and support the local farmers nationwide.