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Agriculture

Category
Agriculture

Mama Bank Assists Local Farmers

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Women vegetable growers in Wau, Morobe Province have received two new walk-behind tractors.

Under an Agriculture, Value Chain Finance (AVCF) product tailored by the Women’s Micro Bank Limited (Mama Bank), Produce Distributer NKW Fresh, and the Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI), the product aims at assisting small-scale farmers with financial needs.

Mama Bank CEO, Gunanidhi Das said farmers play a significant role in supplying PNG Markets with fresh produce and most importantly generate an income to support their families.

However, they are restricted to financial institutions to acquire funding to improve their productivity.

“Mama Bank is glad to empower and build the financial capacity of PNG farmers through easier access to credit facilities, and I thank NKW Fresh and PSDI for this great partnership,” said Das.  

Under the AVCF product, farmers can obtain finance to improve their income generation activities. The AVCF product will also identify areas in the sector that needs to improve.

With the walk-behind tractors, 15 women farmers are now set to benefit fully from this initiative.

“PSDI is pleased to support an important initiative and innovating financial solution,” PSDI Growth Specialist Jeremy Cleaver said.

Furthermore, NKW Fresh General Manager David Stewart said a farmer using machines like the walk-behind tractor can cultivate land four times more than the use of traditional tools like spades and forks.  

He added the increased productivity can provide a small-scale farmer with an annual income between K45,000 and K75,000.

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Agriculture

EU STREIT PROGRAM PARTNERS WITH AGRI-ENTERPRISES

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The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), under EU-STREIT PNG Programme, is collaborating with registered enterprises or cocoa nurseries, to sustainably supply quality cocoa seedlings in the Sepik Region of Papua New Guinea.

Over 30 registered nurseries have signed an agreement with EU STREIT PNG, and they are now distributing pest-tolerant seedlings to potential cocoa producers in the Sepik region.

This partnership is to help increase the production of high-quality cocoa.

It also provides an opportunity for the nursery owners to further nourish in PNG agri-businesses environment, being empowered to engage, provide and meet local demands for cocoa seedlings.

The newly boarded partners have been equipped with nursery set-ups by the Programme that meets PNG Cocoa Board standards.

“National Cocoa Production Officer Michael Lames said they are engaging farmer groups as service providers to deliver seedlings to their members including youths and women.”

“The FAO under the Programme will purchase these seedlings at the rate of K3 and K4 per seedling, including transport cost for distribution of seedlings to targeted farmers and cocoa blocks,” Lames said.

FAO – STREIT Cocoa Production Officer Odrick Urum further explained that payment will be made upon satisfactory completion of deliveries that will be followed by field verification where seedlings are planted into the ground.

“The money will be paid into the groups’ respective bank accounts to support their operation as a business, and for the benefit of their members.”

Wilfred Mombiang who represents a registered farmer group of Saure Village, in Wewak District, expressed gratitude towards this partnership.

“It is an exciting opportunity for us to learn new ideas on how to operate as a service provider, which requires quality delivery on a set time,” Mombiang said.

The Programme has also built the capacity of nursery owners as well as the producers in efficient cocoa cloning, budding and block management.

All these initiatives are part of the EU-STREIT Programme’s broader work plan to strengthen cocoa value chain actors in the Sepik region.

Cocoa farmers signing documents with the EU STREIT Program
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