Empowering Women in Agriculture – Ngarogoam Women’s Association Inc. Engages with Grow PNG

The Ngarogoam Women’s Association Inc., a newly established and fully registered organisation with the Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) and Internal Revenue Commission (IRC), is committed to empowering women through skill development and community advocacy. Based in Munum Village, Ward 15, Wampar LLG, Huon Gulf District, Morobe Province, the association comprises 76 members (75 women and 1 male) engaged in subsistence gardening, roadside selling, sewing, cooking, animal husbandry, and handcraft production to improve livelihoods and generate income.

On Wednesday, 13 August, Grow PNG had the honour of attending the official launch of the Association’s Taro Project, where over 50 participants gathered to celebrate this important milestone. The project received 1,000 taro seedlings from the National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI), along with technical guidance on best planting practices. The name Ngarogoam, meaning lemon in the local language, reflects the association’s spirit of growth and resilience.

Representing Grow PNG, Hosea Jr Mailil, Agri-Partnership Manager, delivered a keynote speech highlighting our engagement in the Markham District and the opportunities to extend support to women in Huon Gulf District. Our role as a facilitator between farmers and markets complements the Association’s objectives by creating pathways for:

• Market Linkages – Connecting the Association’s produce to viable and sustainable markets.

• Capacity Building – Strengthening skills in agribusiness, financial literacy, and crop management.

• Partnership Development – Collaborating with agencies such as FPDA, NARI, agribusinesses, investors, and government partners to expand income-generating opportunities.

• Women’s Economic Empowerment – Encouraging women to participate in agriculture as a business, not just subsistence.

The event was made even more memorable with Grow PNG and the Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA) jointly officiating the ribbon-cutting ceremony. This partnership reflects Grow PNG’s mission to promote inclusive, market-driven agricultural growth across Morobe Province and beyond. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Ngarogoam Women’s Association by strengthening market connections, building collective capacity, and ensuring women farmers remain at the centre of agricultural transformation in Huon Gulf District and across the Markham Valley.

Grow PNG and the Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA) jointly officiate the ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the official launch of the Ngarogoam Women’s Association Taro Project.

We extend our gratitude to all partners who made this project possible – Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA), National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), and the Hon. Jason Peter, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Religion and Member for Huon Gulf District – for their continued support of women-led initiatives in agriculture.