ONION BULB GETS HEADS UP IN HAGEN

 

Michael Makap (left) and Fabian Chow cutting the ribbon to the bulb onion nursery shed at Konda village in Mt. Hagen. Pictures by TONY PALME

ONIONS, ONION, ONIONS

By TONY PALME in MOUNT HAGEN

 

ONION, the only crop that makes people cry, did just that in Mount Hagen recently.

The people of Hagen and surrounding Yamka communities cried in joy when the Fresh Produce Development Agency partnered with the Word Foundation Interdenominational Association (WFIA) at Konda village near Kagamuga International Airport  to introduce bulb onion as an alternate cash crop to kaukau, potatoes, cabbages and other garden produce.

Having maintained a dominant stronghold as the home of potato, which is loved in potato chips; bulb onion is expected to diversify the cash base and class of taste to the hard working farmers.

Bulb onion, when fried and added to white rice and Ox & Palm corned beef is something else (a delicious meal) that you would turn your back on your best friend.

Such is the nutritional and medicinal value of the highly demanded crop that it's supply in the country is very low.

Local farmers cannot meet the market demand. PNG relies heavily on imported bulb onion (about 70 per cent) while the local farmers, preferably from Chimbu's Gembogl district, Eastern Highlands and other Highlands provinces account for only 30 per cent.

The Word Foundation Interdenominational Association (WFIA) based at Konda village where the Yamka tribe lives.

The soil there is vast, black and fertile and can produce massive quantity and high quality bulb onion; just the right amount to supply the demand of the local top-end markets.

The onus will be on the farmers or landowners who will be able and willing to prepare the soil to establish that love affair with the powerful food enhancing crop.

The success or failure of the project will depend on the farmers. It is only early days to predict.

Locals at Konda and Kelua villages near Mount Hagen in Papua New Guinea  inspecting the bulb onion nursery shed.

However, the project initiator, Michael Makap, the chief executive officer of Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited, a Yamka man himself, and the group of like-minded pastors, elders and congregation are so determined that their efforts will not be a waste.

"The dream to start this project took two years. We have put in a lot of effort and commitment to see it become a reality.

"We did a lot of demographic, social, economic and market research and settled at our decision for bulb onion.

"I asked Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA) chief executive officer Mark Worinu on what would be the ideal crop and as per their programs, he recommended bulb onion.

"I am very thankful to Mark, FPDA board, management and field officers for making an organisational decision to establish the model farm (demonstration site) here at Konda and choosing Hagen as a Stage 3 center for bulb onion in the country.

"We are fully committed and with God at our side, no mountain is too high to climb," Makap said and gave the assurance.

FPDA, as a responsible government agency will do it's part to help the group take the project off the ground.

It's aim is to train as much bulb onion farmers to produce in quality and the required amount (quantity) at a consistent basis to narrow the gap and save the country's money.

FPDA has helped to set up a model farm for nursery of bulb onion seedlings and a bulb onion solar dryer facility at Konda to maintain quality during harvest.

FPDA board chairman Fabian Chow, FPDA national bulb onion program manager James Aniau, and FPDA divisional program manager John Lark Kewa were at Konda on Saturday, January 14, 2023 to witness the project launching.

FPDA board chairman Fabian Chow (right) and bulb onion project initiator and MVIL CEO Michael Makap (left( being welcomed by youths at Konda village during the launching. 

It was an occasion many described as a 'divine intervention' that presented a window of opportunity for not only the Yamka tribe, but the Jikas, Moges, Eltis, Pinambes and Hagen as a whole.

Mt. Hagen City Commission deputy manager Jim Pena was a happy man because he knows that the project will bring real tangible developments to the people.

"I just want to share an experience here. The office of the MP for Hagen (William Duma) used to receive a lot of paper proposals.

"Most of the monies that were supposed to go towards tangible developments always ended up with ghost claims.

"People of Konda, you have a son (Makap) with balls who knows the routine to shoot down the cuscus.

"On behalf of the city commission and office of the MP I salute you for setting a new type of precedence in initiating a community empowerment project.

 "This is a different type of launching we witness in Hagen.

 "This bulb onion project is a result of community driven initiative which will definitely boost the profile of Mt. Hagen.

 "A pregnant mother is expected to give birth after nine months but when it enters the tenth month, we know that it is an overdue baby.

 "Missionaries and government have planted seeds of prosperity here long ago but we have not changed, we were like overdue babies.

 "Today is the day we're celebrating the birth of this overdue baby.

 "We can feed the nation through farming because we have the land to grow any crop but I trust bulb onion as a game changer," Pena reiterated as he heaped praise on Makap for initiating the project idea.