Mt Hagen, Western Highlands Province, 12 May 2025 – As Papua New Guinea celebrates 50 years of independence, a new generation of agricultural leaders is rising—led by four dynamic young women at Hilans Fres, the fresh produce division of Mt Hagen-based company Tininga Ltd.
Barbara Mondo (24, Chimbu), Sylvee Attmankia (25, East Sepik/East New Britain), Germaimah Konts (22, Western Highlands/Milne Bay), and Lydia Raupuri (23, Milne Bay) are recent university graduates who are driving real change in farming—from seed production to farmer training across the Highlands region.
From Classrooms to Croplands
Barbara, an agriculture graduate from the University of Technology in Lae, now manages five nursery houses at Hilans Fres. Since January 2025, she and her team have cultivated thousands of seedlings—brown and red onions, broccoli, green coronet, and red queen cabbage—supplying them to local farmers in Western Highlands, Jiwaka, and Chimbu.
“We work with both new and experienced farmers,” Barbara said. “We supply seedlings under contract, where the cost is recovered through 50 per cent of the first two harvests. It’s affordable, especially for smallholders.”
Germaimah, also a Unitech graduate, highlighted the impact of their outreach: “We’ve delivered farmer training sessions in Jiwaka. It’s rewarding to see farmers applying our advice and improving their farms.”
Science at the Centre
Sylvee, who holds a degree in Chemistry and Environmental Science from Pacific Adventist University, is responsible for chemical monitoring and data collection.
“I monitor soil and farm conditions, assist in the nursery and packing room, and accompany field visits,” she said. “As a young graduate, I’m grateful for the exposure. This job has been an incredible learning experience.”
Lydia, a Unitech graduate from Milne Bay, works with the extension team, engaging directly with farmers and helping pilot new crops such as strawberries.
“We’ve planted 50 strawberry seedlings as a trial,” she explained. “If the results are promising, we’ll share the model with farmers. We’re even experimenting with yeast-based stimulants to enhance growth and fruiting.”
Empowering Farmers, One Seedling at a Time
With space and resources limited, the team supplies thousands of seedlings weekly at a subsidised rate of just 10 toea each—compared to commercial rates that can cost up to hundreds of kina per kilo.
“The demand is high, but our nursery space is small,” Barbara noted. “Still, we continue because we know our work is improving lives.”
A Message for PNG’s Youth
For these women, agriculture is more than a job—it is a mission.
“In PNG, many young women feel like failure is the end,” Barbara said. “But it’s not. We must stay strong—for our families, our communities, and for ourselves.”
Their message is one of inspiration and challenge: agriculture is not a fallback option—it is the foundation of PNG’s future.