In Papua New Guinea, the utilization of solar dryer technology is being recognized for its role in elevating bulb onions to exportable quality, aligning with the nation's 2030 objectives of K200 billion in Gross Domestic Production (GDP), creating one million employment opportunities, and fostering 500,000 small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) as outlined by Prime Minister James Marape.
Wilson Thompson, president of the Highlands Farmers and Settlers Association Inc., has underscored the significance of this innovation in a press release, noting the collaboration between the Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA), the Food and Science Technology Department of the Papua New Guinea University of Technology, and support from the British American Tobacco, which has allocated K1 million for the construction of 50 curing sheds over two years, each costing K20,000.
The initiative, which commenced last year across selected provinces, primarily in the Highlands, involves constructing sheds to cure bulb onions, thereby enhancing their longevity and market competitiveness against imports. Thompson emphasized the technology's impact on the onion industry, stating, "Although bulb onion has been upscaled in production, it was raw and wet and the new technology introduced to farmers now will enable the bulb onions to be dried and cured so that it can last long and can be sold in competition with imported bulb onions." He further highlighted the broader implications for achieving the Prime Minister's economic and employment targets through collaborative efforts among various stakeholders, including farmers, artisans, businesses, NGOs, research institutions, and society at large.
However, Thompson also pointed out the existing gap between domestic demand and local supply for not only bulb onions but other produce as well, advocating for increased local production to mitigate rising prices and reliance on imports.
[ 1 Papua New Guinean Kina = €0,23 ]
Source: postcourier.com.pg