Caption: Rubber farmers selling Cup lumps at Tiomnai village in North Fly District. (Supplied Image)
By Jim John
Rubber farmers in North Fly District of Western Province have been told the selling price of cup lumps will remain at the current normal price of K2.00.
This follows the farmers’ recent plea for an increase in the selling price of Rubber Cup lumps so as to make enough profit.
They were instead advised the price will remain at K2 because the Fly River Provincial Government and the National Government has not allocated funds to support the rubber industry in Western Province and PNG as a whole.
Chairman of North Fly Rubber Limited (NFRL) in Kiunga, Warren Dutton clarified that the farmers’ call on price increase would be addressed whenever funding support is given to the local company, NFRL.
Mr. Dutton added that cup lump price for rubber farmers in Middle Fly, Delta Fly and South Fly Districts is at K1.40 because their DDA has not supported the price enhancement program like what North Fly DDA did in 2023 by allocating K1 million grant for price.
He said NFRL now appeals to these three District Development Authorities to support the farmers within their districts.
