By JOHNNY POIYA
THE national government needs to immediately support farmers from the Highlands region who supply fresh vegetables to coastal markets, especially the nation’s capital Port Moresby and the country’s second largest city of Lae.
The call was made by Western Highlands deputy Governor Wai Rapa, who has seen a
lot of farmers from his province and the Highlands region seriously affected by
lack of effective government transport system and freight subsidies.
Mr Rapa is also president of Mount Hagen rural local level government and
chairman of Wamp Nga Group of Companies, the flagship of three RLLGs of the
Western Highlands.
Mr Rapa said it was obvious that the national government was not aware of the problems that the farmers in the region have to contend with in trying to supply fresh food to markets in the region, as well as the rest of the country.
Mr Rapa said it was obvious that the national government was not aware of the problems that the farmers in the region have to contend with in trying to supply fresh food to markets in the region, as well as the rest of the country.
He said millions of kina worth of fresh vegetables and fruit grown by local
village farmers without any government support, were rotting away and not
reaching markets due to a lack of reliable and reasonably cheap transport
system.
“The government’s cash handouts to a handful of people should stop now and
public support in the form of infrastructure and transport should be given to
hard-working farmers. This is a very serious issue that needs to be addressed
effectively,” Mr Rapa said.
He said the problem of transportation, especially between the ports of Lae and Port Moresby, would not be a problem if politicians had been wiser when Wamp Nga Holdings and an Australian company entered into a joint venture some years ago to provide a valuable shipping service to help local farmers in Western Highlands and the Highlands region.
He said the problem of transportation, especially between the ports of Lae and Port Moresby, would not be a problem if politicians had been wiser when Wamp Nga Holdings and an Australian company entered into a joint venture some years ago to provide a valuable shipping service to help local farmers in Western Highlands and the Highlands region.
Mr Rapa said the controversies that surrounded the operation of the flagship MV
Milne Bay, a ferry vessel brought in for that purpose, would not have risen if
the leaders really appreciated what the joint venture company was trying to do
to help farmers.
“If the national politicians had supported the JVC, Highlands farmers would not be facing the problems they are facing today and the economy would have improved significantly since then,” he said.
“MV Milne Bay would have benefited thousands of farmers in the region. Thousands of bags of vegetables would have been shipped to Port Moresby from Lae.
“This would have triggered a boost in the region’s agriculture sector. It would be a different story today,” he said.
“If the national politicians had supported the JVC, Highlands farmers would not be facing the problems they are facing today and the economy would have improved significantly since then,” he said.
“MV Milne Bay would have benefited thousands of farmers in the region. Thousands of bags of vegetables would have been shipped to Port Moresby from Lae.
“This would have triggered a boost in the region’s agriculture sector. It would be a different story today,” he said.
Mr Rapa said under the JVC, there were plans to expand the service between PNG
and Australia and the South Pacific.
“However, the past is gone and we can’t bring it back. Unfortunately, the reality today is that our rural farmers who work so hard to improve their livelihoods and quality of life and contribute positively to the country’s economy are being seriously affected by lack of assistance from the national government,” he said.
“From their gardens on the mountain sides and valleys, down the Highlands highway to Lae and by ship to Port Moresby and its markets, these brave farmers face all the hardships doing what they do without any support from the government,” Mr Rapa said.
“However, the past is gone and we can’t bring it back. Unfortunately, the reality today is that our rural farmers who work so hard to improve their livelihoods and quality of life and contribute positively to the country’s economy are being seriously affected by lack of assistance from the national government,” he said.
“From their gardens on the mountain sides and valleys, down the Highlands highway to Lae and by ship to Port Moresby and its markets, these brave farmers face all the hardships doing what they do without any support from the government,” Mr Rapa said.
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