COCOA growers in Inland Baining are now able to get more of their produce to the market after the upgrading of their feeder road.
For farmers in the Sandaun-Burit Block of Vunapalading Ward, the 3.5km Burit-Vunapalading feeder road was the only way to reach the market at Kerevat.
Daniel Dising, who operates a public transport service along the route using his family’s vehicle, said the poor state of the road forced him to stop a distance away.
Then passengers and farmers made the rest of the journey on their own.
“Before, the road condition was very bad,” Dising said.
“I could only drive to the beginning of the road and drop passengers off there.
“I was making less money, and farmers had trouble getting their produce out.”
The rehabilitation and upgrading of the feeder road changed the situation entirely.
Dising now completed the entire route, completing more runs each day and reaching communities that were previously hard to access.
His earnings has improved too – he earns between K500 and K600 on a day.
Farmers had a reliable transport service to move their produce to buyers at Kerevat.
Dising carries four to five bags of cocoa per trip, charges K50 per dry bag, and completes up to five or six loads a day during peak periods.
“With a good road, I see good money from the people selling cocoa,” he said.
“Before, I would drop farmers at the start of the road and earn less.
“Now it is better for everyone.”
