Potaisa Hombunaka

Manager of Coffee Industry Corporation’s Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Project (CIC-PPAP), Potaisa Hombunaka, urges MPs to focus on building and maintaining rural roads to improve access of rural communities to markets and services.

“Our mothers feel the pain of carrying heavy loads to climb mountains and cross rivers to sell their coffee or garden produce,” Hombunaka said.

“Just build the roads and forget about us. Roads will take care of other services.”

The last two lines received overwhelming cheers or support from the crowd.

“It was clear at the just concluded first national inaugural agriculture summit in Port Moresby that the PPAP modality is strong in governance, transparency and accountability, hence delivery of project to the farmers is feasible,” he said.

“Be happy because you’re in the forefront of a move in the country.”

Hombunaka was talking to 45 extension officers attending a weeklong training at Aiyura coffee research and growers services station in Eastern Highlands on Friday, 23 November, 2017.

“If you focus on the pay you will lose focus on the job. You’re here to serve the farmers,” says Project Manager Potaisa Hombunaka to 42 officers currently attending a training at SIL Ukarumpa in the Aiyura Valley, Eastern Highlands Province.