According to commercial vegetable production industry representative from the NKW Group, General Manager David Stewart, the fresh produce industry in PNG does not have a robust market and prices are insufficient. Stewart said prices for fresh produce farmers have not changed in the last 15 years as the average price for fresh produce across the country per kilo for the product which varies is usually K2.40-K3.00 per kilo.
"When the prices of inputs are taken into account with transportation included, farmers find it difficult to improve quantity and volumes because they simply cannot afford the inputs. The prices that farmers are receiving for their fresh produce is insufficient and the reason why price is insufficient is because the market is not robust enough," Stewart said.
He said that the fresh produce ground in PNG is within every ones DNA and they know how to do it but the farmers need the right inputs such as insect controls, chemicals, right irrigation and farming mechanism they can produce more for export.
Stewart added that there is market for fresh produce in Singapore and Australia but the struggle is trying to get farmers to a stage to actually produce big volumes to export in order to get better incomes.
Source: postcourier.com.pg