An estimated 12 – 15 tons of vegetables have been produced between 2015 and 2016 in Porgera due to increased knowledge in garden maintenance by farmers.
And yields are expected to increase annually as the training programs continue.
Porgera Joint Venture (PJV) revealed this in a statement when announcing training programs for local farmers to properly maintain their gardens.
Local farmers within the Special Mining Lease (SML) area of the Porgera gold mine, who recently received skills on maintaining gardens, say their abilities will come in handy after the closure of the mine.
Jackybeth Peter from Yarik, who is one of the recipients, said this following the training provided by PJV.
“This is better for us to make gardens in the same garden. When the mine finishes we can live on this and help our families.
“Now we have a lot of food in the garden. We see that money is in our hands and after the mine leaves we will continue to plant and eat,” said Peter.
The training involved the ‘Planting Bed Maintenance’ technique demonstrated by the PJV village agriculture extension worker (VAEW), Rosebenami Alua, to farmers in Apalaka, Yarik, Timorope and Alipis.
Alua said the idea of having champion farmers attend such training was so that when they return home, they could train fellow farmers in Tok Pisin and the local Ipili language.
“This maintenance training is better than others. It’s a good method to be used every time a crop is harvested and also to train their children to use,” she said.
PJV Community Development Alternate Manager, Jacqueline Nen, says the training is part of the PJV Food Security program and is aimed to extend into the Lease for Mining Purpose (LMP) areas and further out.
“What we are doing now is trying to make sure that land is arable year in, year out.”
(Ms Alua, centre, demonstrates how it’s done as participants watch closely)