Teacher supplements pay with money from onion sales

Business

A PRIMARY school teacher has ventured into farming to support his family because what he earns as a teacher is not enough to cater for his big family.
Niso Wapen, 55, from Ningu village in Laiagam, Enga, said his pay packet was inadequate for his family.
Wapen added that he had a big family to feed and he needed to supplement his formal income by selling produce from his gardens to provide for his wife and children as well as meet community obligations like paying bride price and compensation.
“In 2002, I read in the newspaper that bulb onions were being grown in Chimbu and farmers were earning good money and that inspired me to try it out in my village,” he said.
Wapen said he had saved some of money from his wages and bought onion seeds and planted them with the help of his wife and children.
The onion farming took up most of his free time.
Wapen said even though he encountered minor problems, he preserved until the quality of the onions improved.
He started on a small scale but he plans to go into commercial farming as access to a market improved and the demand was high.
“I also taught my own children to grow bulb onions along with other vegetables to raise money for their school fees and other needs,” he said.
Wapen said when their crops were ready, they transported the harvest to sell along the roadside or to Porgera.
He said the money he made from his farming activities helped him maintain his family.
“My family is not depending on my salary any more like in the past, there is good money in farming,” he said.
Wapen said the bulb onion business was good because there were few risks involved in planting, growing and harvesting it.
He urged other public servants to try farming their land to support their families.

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