The establishment of the Highlands Regional incubation centre by the Small Medium Enterprise Corporation (SME Corporation) is set to positively impact the local economy in the Highlands region. According to Petrus Ralda, Managing Director of SME Corporation, the project is anticipated to significantly enhance the flow of social and economic benefits to the local populace. Positioned in Minj, Jiwaka Province, the initiative will feature a sweet potato factory focusing on the production of bi-products like starch and stockfeed.
The incubation centre aims to bolster the development and growth of businesses related to sweet potatoes through processing, value addition, and marketing, responding to the increasing demand for sweet potato products. The project is expected to spur economic growth and improve livelihoods by fostering innovative and sustainable businesses centered around sweet potatoes. This includes facilitating value addition activities and enabling access to higher-value markets, thereby increasing income levels for farmers and entrepreneurs in the region.
Moreover, the centre will promote sustainable farming practices and resilience to climate change by focusing on sweet potato, a crop well-suited to the region's climate and terrain. It will provide access to training, resources, and technology to improve cultivation techniques, mitigate production risks, and enhance the sustainability of sweet potato farming in the Highlands region.
Source: postcourier.com.pg