Fresh Produce Development Agency

The FPDA signed the deal with Frangipani Foods Ltd of Rabaul and SOJONA Integrated and Sustainable Agriculture Livelihood (SISAL) of Madang to see the project through.

Chief Executive Officer for the Fresh Produce Development Agency, Mark Worinu when officiating at the signing of the financial agreement with the two lead farmers said Galip nut can be an alternate cash produce for the lowland people of PNG.

He said all people can be farmers but it takes a strong man/woman to really work the land and produce the quality produce.

Long-time District Chief Executive Officer, Peter Peniat who served there for almost 15 years revealed that local people never spent money in the stores because they never had money.

“The people in the hinterlands of Pomio had no basic source of income. They would rely on growing tobacco to pay for their kids’ school fees. Some would work in nearby oil palm and copra plantations to save money to send their kids to schools,” he said.

Present at the occasion was NKW Fresh General Manager, David Stewart, and FPDA supply chain manager Noel Kuman.

Coming from different model farms in Wau, the farmers gathered at Biawen and presented gifts to members of the Fresh Produce Development Agency and invited guests. 

Six years ago, FPDA extension officers trained the farmers on how to grow their produce and where to sell them to make a living.

Though they were from the mining area, the farmers had to forgo their past experiences in alluvial mining and start implementing their newly-acquired farming skills.

Fresh Produce Development Agency, bulb onion project manager, Wayne Powae, said during the launch of the bulb onion project that such funds must be retained to benefit PNG, and especially farmers.

He said the FPDA is now at the forefront of helping farmers to grow crops, to cut down on the large number of fresh produce imports.

Powae said the challenge to increase mass production of cash crops locally to meet the high demand is still huge.

The Agency has portrayed commitment to supporting Papua New Guinean farmers in the rural areas, particularly in promoting food security for rural sustenance and fostering best farm practices in fruits and vegetables production and management.

In his recent discussion with the FPDA Management Team, Minister Maru stated that he was impressed with their increased efforts in trying to integrate the food crop industry into the mainstream economy and become dynamic player in addressing the Governments agenda in growing the economy.

Tanipai and Kosipe in the Woitape LLG are the first two villages to have received bags of seedlings from the District Development Authority, as part of its plan to revive agriculture practice in the district.

The 20 bags supplied last Saturday are part of the first 50 from the planned 200 bags to be distributed across the district.

The concept here, according Michael Atuai, who’s spearheading the project, is to secure locals on both food security and financial security.

Although it is a known fact, the ban on import vegetables has now made it an issue that must be addressed with urgency, if locally produced vegetables are to be sold to major retail shops and markets around the country.

The Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA) says despite this they are going ahead with their plans to assist local farmers.

It says in the past PNG has been importing a number of fresh produce and plant food products due to assumptions that local produce is of poor quality and lower volume to meet domestic market demand.

The Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA) is behind a number of village-based programs on fresh produce development in the district with the intention to raise small to medium entrepreneurs.   

Much of FPDA’s partnerships and field activities have been showcased during the Morobe Show this weekend.

One of their effective programs has been the Village Extension Workers, which involves farmers taking the lead in fresh produce production. FPDA is also pushing the marketing side of things through value chain players.