A young farmer from Madang province is encouraging people to grow their own rice to reduce the high cost of store goods and improve food security in their communities.
Justin Ugkinine, from Bagu Dalam in Sisiwal, South Ambenob in Madang District, started growing rice in 2023 with little guidance from the Department of Agriculture and Livestock.
He said his journey began when he attended a rice farming training in Lae on June 2023. The training was conducted by Trukai Industries Limited and helped him understand how to grow rice properly.
“That training really pushed me to start my own rice garden, after learning, I came back and started planting. I also encouraged my family and people in my community to do the same” Ugkinine said.
He noted one of the main reasons he started growing rice was the high price in shops.
“When I saw the price of rice going up, I realized it is better to grow our own, as a farmer, I only spend about K7 to produce 10 kilograms of rice, but in shops the same 10kg costs around K56” he said.
Ugkinine said growing rice has helped his family save money and also provide food for others. At first, he only planted rice for his own household, but this year he was able to sell some of his produce for the first time.
“This year we made our first sales, and it feels good and I also gave some bags of rice to community members who need it” he said.
He was also recognized for his efforts and received a Smart Farmer Award, making him one of the model rice farmers in Madang District.
Despite his progress, Mr. Ugkinine said there are still many challenges in rice farming. One of the main problems is storing the rice after harvest.
He noted that we face problems like no proper storage, insects, and rats that spoil the rice, these make it hard for us to keep rice for a long time.
Looking ahead, he plans to improve his farming and start selling rice in a better way.
“Going forward, I want to package my rice properly and put it on shelves so more people can buy it,” he said.
Ugkinine believes Madang has good soil and the right conditions to grow rice, and he is calling on more people to take up farming.
“Madang has good land for rice farming. We should not depend too much on imported rice. We can grow our own food,” he said.
He also said more support is needed from the government to help farmers grow rice on a larger scale.
“Rice farming needs support like irrigation systems and machines like tractors to prepare the land,” he said. “If we have this support, more farmers can grow rice and supply the market.”
Ugkinine is now encouraging farmers across Madang and the country to start small and grow rice for their families and communities.
“If we start now, we can help ourselves and our communities in the future,” he said.
