Veggie farmer gets own tractor

 HIRI East farmer Tony Badu is happy that his dream of increasing production at his Vairara vegetable farm would be realised with a tractor given to his family by Central Governor Kila Haoda.

Haoda handed the K76,000 tractor to his three sons and their families in Port Moresby.

Badu was told The National that days of manual labour and hiring tractors to plough a plot for K800 were over.

Badu said he started farming in 1986 when his three sons were just boys.

“I grow pawpaw, banana, watermelon and ball cabbage and sell them to Foodworld at Gordon, TST, Waterfront and the Malaoro open market,” he said.

“I always wanted to have a bigger farm and grow varieties but couldn’t because we can’t do that much manual work.

“I am very thankful to the Central provincial Department of Agriculture and Livestock adviser Kila Gege, his team, Governor Haoda, National Agricultural Research and Livestock, National DAL, Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA) and Brian Bell for supporting me.”