Just 30 minutes from bustling Port Moresby, off the concrete Hiritano Highway and onto a non-descript mud-road, lies a small yet thriving farming community. Tucked away along the Brown River, the Yamari village is home to 500 people, who are culturally, economically and socially dependent on the incredibly rich land.
The day starts as early as 4 am in the village, even before the sun peeks out. Men, women and even children stoically working in their little patches of farms. The fresh produce, ranging from corn to aibika to bananas to bread-fruit, a testament to the fertility of the soil. Traditional practises have continued from generations, not surprisingly reliant on the whims and fancies of the rain. But now the community is going beyond subsistence farming and turning to commercial agriculture. CPL Group, well-known for its farmer programmes, is providing crucial guidance and expertise as they transition.
