GALIP NUT THIRVING THROUGH “MARKET FOR VILLAGE FARMERS PROJECT”
By Zebedeee GIAME, Lae
The galip nut is slowly but surely getting the recognition it deserves.
Through the Market for Village Farmers project from the Fresh Produce Development Agency, the Madang provincial agriculture and livestock division have partnered with the local people to downstream the produce.
Dolores Kamang from the Madang Provincial agriculture and livestock division says the nuts are locally sourced from the Sumgilbar local level goverement area and are processed and packed.
Ms Kamang says if the nuts were sold at the local markets, a handful would only fetch K1, however if the nuts are processed and packaged, the price differs to K10 per pack.
She says through the Market for Village Farmers project, value has been added to locally grown fresh produce, nuts and grains.
The Sisal local farmers group has been working with Ms Kamang’s office under this project and they were at the 61st Morobe show to display their product and source a local market for their value added product.
According to Ms Kamang, Madang and East New Britain provinces are the only two provinces that are processing Galip nuts under the Market for Village Farmers project of the Fresh Produce Development Agency.
