Training to help transform farmers’ mindsets

TRAINING for cocoa farmers is now ongoing at Erima Village in theRai Coast district ofMadang provinceto transform the mindset of local farmers including cocoa farmers so that they manage their agriculture activities as business entities.
The training funded and facilitated by the Australian Government and Australian Center for International Agriculture Research (AC IAR) respectively commenced on Monday this week and will end today with the launching of model farmers.
According to AC IAR partner, RamuNiCo Community Affairs (CA ) office in Madang, the training is one of the vital components of the AC IAR project titled: “Enterprise driven transformation for cocoa farmers to become cocoa business man”.
Fourteen model farmers have been identified from villages including villages within Coastal Pipeline and nearby villages within Astrolabe Bay and Transgogol LLG in Madang,predominantly along the RamuNiCo Project Coastal Pipeline impacted communities.
RamuNiCo Community Affairs (CA ) Agriculture Supervisor, Allan Wahwah said the training is aimed at transforming farmers’ mindset so they can manage their farm like an entrepreneur.
“The participants or model farmers are selected from the current training is a second part of a first training which was conducted i September 2017.
“Upon completion of the current training, it is anticipated that the 14 model farmers will become village extension officers/trainers.
“They are expected to sign in 24 other farmers and teach them what they would learn from the previous and current training,” Wahwah said.
During the opening of the training on Monday this week, RamuNiCo- CA Agriculture/Gender programme commended the AC IAR on their contribution and encouraged farmers to put to use the skills and trainingthey will be equipped with and have been equipped with during the previous trainings respectively.
“RamuNiCo CA Agriculture/Gender section had been part of this project through the engagement of our field officers, Daniel Abuta (Coastal Pipeline), Samuel and Seth (Inland Pipeline),”
“It is 5 year project life cycle from Year 2016 – 2020.
“This project is being trialed in Madang, New Ireland, East Sepik and Chimbu (Karamui district), six district and 22 project sites,”
“Our CA Agriculture/Gender Program believes in public private partnership as the way forward in building a better future for our mine’s impacted communities through promoting sustainable agriculture development,”
“This is because scarce resources can be mobilised by development partners, common/uniform languages in terms of skills and knowledge can be disseminated and common goals and objectives can be achieved effectively and efficiently,” Wahwah said.
The training closes today with the launching of newly identified model farmers who will be trainers to carry out programme of training others.