BY RODRICK DESURI
Auki
The Nia Organic Farmers Association from Ugi, Makira Ulawa province, signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Goshen Enterprise in Malaita Province on July 1.
The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) aims to establish a commercial relationship where the Association members (the farmers) agree to grow and sell taro exclusively to the enterprise and the enterprise agrees to provide technical support and a guaranteed market for their produce.
Nia Organic Farmers Association Chairlady Nancy Kelehai said the MoA will help create more opportunities for them to continue sending their products to Goshen Enterprise and will also support them in terms of addressing challenges.
“We have had a relationship with Goshen Enterprise since we started sending our products in 2023. So, the signing of this MoA is to strengthen our partnership and connection.
“Even though we lived far and it cost us in terms of transportation for our products, this is the only way to sell our products,” she said.
Supervising Manager of the Goshen Enterprise, Mary Waneta said the enterprise is willing to work with local farmers’ associations to provide and facilitate training, visit their farm sites, and improve their farming activities if there is a need.
She said they have plans to build and strengthen marketing links with them to support them.
“We are planning to link up our connections with the local farmers’ associations so that we can support them, and at the same time, they can produce quality standards of products.
“It’s like we are creating an initiative that we all can benefit from,” she said.
Nia Organic Farmers Association was formed in 2022 in Suena/Hunuta on the island of Ugi, Makira Ulawa Province, during the COVID-19 crisis, and is a combination of youth, children and elders who farm taro.
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