by Bethanie Harriman – EM TV News, Lae
The National Agricultural Research Institute has prepared early maturing crops for farmers to plant during the rainy season that will start in December.
NARI’s Director General, Dr Sergie Bang, says the institute will use all of its resources to get the early maturing crops to farmers in areas where there is no food after gardens were destroy by the frosts and dry spell.
NARI’s Bubia Research Centre, outside Lae, has been prepared to supply sweet potatoes, wheat, corn and beans to areas with no food after being hit by frost and drought.
Dr Bang, has called on support from donors and the national government to get these crops to the people affected.
“We will need funding from Aid donors, non-government organisations and the national government,” said Dr.Bang
The crops will be distributed to farmers in lower land communities to plant during the monsoon-raining season that will start in December and end in February.
Places in Morobe including Menyamya and parts of the Bulolo District will also get cuttings depending on funding allocations.
It’s estimated that the logistic will cost around K2 million.
These places are now getting help in the form of disaster relief supplies.
The early maturing species of sweet potatoes are being developed for low lands by NARI agronomists.
For the Highlands region – places in the Western Highlands, Southern Highlands, Enga, Chimbu and the Eastern Highlands – a different variety of crops have been developed in NARI’s outstations in Aiyura and Tambul.
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