Part of the Wara Bung Bridge on the Bulolo Highway in Morobe Province had been washed away by flooding affecting the travelling public and business houses.
Chicken producer, Zenag, is one of the business houses affected.
Zenag Chicken’s Operations Manager Stanley Leahy told Loop PNG that the bridge was damaged last Thursday affecting its business operations.
“There was further damage last night cutting the road in two locations between Lae and Zenag.
“Feed supply to our farms is our greatest concern. If the road is not open promptly our birds are at risk of starvation.
“We had to hand carry over 72,000 day-old chickens across this section of highway yesterday. There was an extortion ‘fee' for every carton.
“With the Highway cut in two locations today we’re unable to transport a further 40,000 birds to SME farmers across PNG,” Leahy said.
He added that allocating sufficient funds for repairs and maintenance of the Bulolo Highway would help mitigate the impact of seasonal weather events.
“It’s disheartening to see billions of kina poured into sports stadiums in Port Moresby as critical infrastructure in the rest of PNG deteriorates,” Leahy said.
Picture courtesy of Stanley Leahy.