Women farmers’ organisation flourishing

By BARBARA TOMI
THE Papua New Guinea Women in Agricultural Development Foundation (PNGWIADF) last week (January 25) celebrated 10 years of service as the voice of women farmers in the country.
To commemorate the occasion PNGWIADF President Maria Linibi expressed gratitude to the partnerships the organisation enjoyed among business communities, state institutions and stakeholders including the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), Trukai, Zenag, Pacific Islands Farmer Organisations Network (PIFON), Australian Women in Agriculture (AWIA), Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL) and its registered membership nationwide.
Joining Linibi in the milestone achievement were former executives of AWIA, Cathy McGowan and Val Lang. McGowan is the current Member of Parliament in Australia.
McGowan echoed Linibi’s gratitude in thanking the sponsors that have made it possible for PNGWIA’s progress and she honoured the organisation’s future as it sets its course and vision for the next 10 years.
She and her team have provided PNG women farmers friendship since January 2007 when she and four other women a team of five women came to Lae and held talks with Linibi and a group of women to set up PNGWIADF and its organisational structure.
That started the close relations between the two groups rolling and a few years later the Australian team organised leadership trainings in Lae, Rabaul and Port Moresby through an AUSAID sponsorship.
McGowan said that as a Member of Parliament she will continue to tell her colleagues what a wonderful country PNG is, the fantastic food it has, that they should all come up here for holidays, and then import its food.
She hopes to do this by making a presentation of her recent visit to a group in the Australian Parliament called the Parliamentary Friends of PNG.
McGowan also plans to invite Senator Fiona Nash who is the Deputy Leader of the ruling Labour Party and a great supporter to come to PNG to meet with PNGWIA members and sponsors.
Trukai continues to be a staunch supporter of PNGWIA, through the signing of a five-year Memorandum of Understanding.
Managing Director Greg Worthington-Eyre said that through the company’s rice programme in the country they have seen women as the drivers of the economics of the village as they step out to tap into opportunities for their communities and families.
He said Trukai will be there for the organisation for many long years, not just as a sponsor but a partner and will be there for the long run.
“The next 10 years will be dynamic and Trukai will continue to support the development and achievement of the next 10-year plan,” Worthington-Eyre said.
NARI has housed PNGWIA in its first 10 years and has pledged to continue its support of the organisation which is now at the crossroads.
PNGWIADF is of mutual benefit to NARI as its research is adopted and adapted mainly by women to produce food and provide income opportunities for families for their livelihood.
NARI Director General Dr Sergie Bang said PNGWIADF is in a good position to make an input and benefit from the PNG government’s investment in impact projects in agriculture.
He pledged that he will ensure that PNGWIADF makes a contribution towards the Government’s Medium Term National Agriculture Development Plan and especially to add to the development of the impact projects in agriculture.