EHPG SUBSIDIZES AIR FREIGHT FOR RURAL FARMERS
Photo Caption: Eastern Highlands Governor Simon Sia presenting the cheque to the aviation company
By Vicky Baunke in Goroka, EHP
A TOTAL of K582,000 in cheques were presented to three aviation companies in the Eastern Highlands Province to help reduce the cost of freight for farmers in the province.
The presentation was done by Eastern Highlands Governor Simon Sia last Friday as part of his aspirations to encourage agricultural activity in the province through rural economic empowerment.
The aviation companies include the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), the New Tribe aviation and the SDA Aviation all receiving K194, 000 each as freight subsidy for rural farmers.
Governor Sia said majority of the population in the Province lived in the remotest places and accessibility to basic government services has always been an impediment to other key developments and the poverty cycle continues to rise suppressing people, especially the farmers.
He said the subsidy would relieve rural coffee farmers who are not linked to roads and will freight the coffee into the town to access the proper market to make something out of their labor.
He said most farmers have difficulty in transporting Coffee into towns due to the high freight costs.
Meanwhile, the Governor said, the Provincial Government with the public service machinery under the leadership of the Provincial Administrator Allen Los will continue to partner with the local MPs to improve the road network in the Districts to give access and connect people to vital services.
Speaking on behalf of the recipients, the MAF Country Director Dom Sant said the mission is to serve the rural people with humanitarian services such as health, churches and supporting local Pastors.
Mr Sant said the mission also supports local communities in coffee freight and other cash crops into towns.
He said the subsidy will support in its operations and strengthen its mission and activity to help the rural people and farmers.
He thanked the Eastern Highlands Provincial Government for seeing the plight of the rural people as they are equally important as others.
