Transport challenges impede produce sales

By Urshula Jim
A mother of three from the Mt Brown area of Central says there is food in her village but no road to access the markets.
Nyiie Mo’ou is from Maroromu village.
“My village is located deep in the mountains. There is no road and we cannot sell our fresh produce to earn an income, “she said.
According to Mo’ou, they walked for long distances and slept in makeshift shelters before reaching the main highway.
“Garden foods are abundant but there is no road so we don’t bring most of our fresh produce to the markets because it takes us days and weeks to reach the roads.
“For single people, they can walk for four to five days before reaching the main highway. For us walking with children, it takes about a week.
The food crops brought are either peanuts or other foods that are easy to carry and will not decay along the way.
Mo’ou currently resides at Upulima, her husband’s village and farms bananas, sugarcanes, kaukaus and collects bush greens and sells them at the Manu market.
“I pity my people who couldn’t bring their fresh produce to the city to sell and make a living. If only we had access to roads and other basic services.
“I am at Upulima where I have access to the markets. I bring about 5-10 bags of food, especially banana to the city to sell. Sometimes, I bring greens and other food crops.”
Apart from farming food crops, she also farms rubber but said that the prices have dropped and she had not planted new rubber trees.
She said she hope that one day, there will be a road linking her remote village to the world outside.